SF 

487 

B81 


Published  by 


LIBRARY 


OF  THE 


MASSACHUSETTS 
AGRICULTURAL 


No. 


SF 
*:>p^    487 
"  B81 


Source 


CL 


ci-4_-:i_L 


This  book  may  be   kept  out 

TWO    WEEKS 


only,    3' 


C—     ^f     TWO 


CENT 
the  da 


-J)^ 


,cpc 

^-  Lit! 


DATE  DUE 

Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

Boston  Library  Consortium  IVIember  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/poultrysecretsga11boye 


i±:n 


GATHERED,  TESTED  AND   NOW 
DISCLOSED 


BY 


MICHAEL  K.  BOYER 

(Poultry  Editor,  Farm  Journal) 


8^  ^WT 


PHILADELPHIA— 191 1 

WILMER  ATKINSON   CO 


Price,    25    cents 


Copyright,  1908 
Copyright,  1909 
Copyright,  1910 

WiLMEB  Atkinson  Co. 

Fourteenth  Edition 
Ninety-fifth  Thousand 


Publishers'  Foreword 


This  work  has  been  prepared  by  Michael  K.  Boyer,  one 
of  the  foremost  poultrymen  of  the  United  States.  In  its 
preparation  he  has  drawn  on  his  own  great  storehouse  of 
experience,  and  on  those  of  his  many  friends  who  are  authori- 
ties on  poultry.  It  is  packed  full  of  information  not  gener- 
ally known  to  the  average  poultryman. 

Permit  us  to  say,  however,  that  these  "  secrets  " — like 
the  majority  of  human  secrets ! — are  probably  not  secrets  to 
every  person.  Some  people  have  had  things  whispered  in 
their  ear  or  have  read  occasional  hints  in  papers,  or  perhaps 
they  have  paid  five  or  ten  dollars  to  some  expert  who  fur- 
nished the  information,  or  possibly  they  have  bought  some 
expensive  book  that  contained  one  or  two  little-known  facts. 
And  so  this  so-called  secret  knowledge  has  spread,  gradually 
and  slowly,  among  a — so  to  speak — "  select  inner  circle  "  of 
poultrymen  who  treasure  it  more  or  less  carefully.  Of 
course  some  of  the  secrets,  like  different  kinds  of  molasses, 
have  "  leaked  "  faster  than  others,  and  therefore  have  become 
better  known. 

We  do  not  believe  that  there  is  a  single  secret  in  this 
book  which  is  not  known  to  at  least  a  few  breeders  of  poultry. 
Nor  do  we  assert  that  none  of  these  secrets  have  ever  before 
been  put  into  print.  But  we  say  this :  Some  poultrymen 
have  paid  considerable  money  to  learn  only  a  few  of  these 
secrets ;  many  poultrymen  have  lost  money  because  they  did 
not  learn  ;  and  every  poultryman  now  has  the  first  chance  ever 
offered,  we  think,  to  obtain  in  one  book  a  summary  of  the 
most  important  of  the  secret  knowledge,  old  or  new,  that 
exists  to-day.  This  summary  is  as  complete  as  money  and 
experience  can  make  it,  and  as  fast  as  newer  processes  or 
methods  are  discovered  we  shall  secure  them  promptly. 

To  sum  up,  we  feel  that  this  book  should  put  money  into 
the  pockets  of  thousands  of  poultry  keepers — men  and 
wom.en — who  have  not  before  had  access  to  the  partially- 
concealed  knowledge  which  a  few  insiders  have  hitherto  tried 
to  monopolize. 

WILMER  ATKINSON  CO. 


35167 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Secrets  of  Fowl  Breeding 7 

Burnham's  Secret  of  Breeding 7 

Felch's  Mating  Secret 8 

Mendel's  Secret  of  Heredity 9 

Secret  of  Alternating  Males  for  Fertility 11 

Secret  of  the  Philo  System 13 

The  Grundy  Method 14 

Curtiss'  Secret  of  Hatching  More  Pullets  Than  Cockerels 15 

Davis'  Secret  of  Raising  Every  Chick 15 

Bahcock's  Secret  of  Developing  the  Spike  on  a  Rose  Combed  Fowl 16 

Secrets  of  Feeding 17 

Secret  of  Feeding  Grains 18 

Dr.  Woods'  Laying-Food  Secret 20 

Feeding  Lmseed  Meal      •        ...  20 

Feeding  Meat  and  Salt 21 

'           Proctor's  Salt  Secret 22 

Brackenbury's  Secret  of  Scalded  Oats 22 

Feeding  Charcoal,  Grit  and  Oyster  Shells 22 

Secret  of  Green  Feed 23 

Secret  of  Feed  at  Fifteen  Cents  per  Bushel       23 

Sprouted  Barley  Secret 24 

Smith's  Secret  of  Preserving  Vegetation  in  Poultry  Runs 25 

Important  Feeding  Secret       25 

Miscellaneous  Feed  Pointers      26 

Chick  Feed  Secrets       27 

Seely's  Secret  of  Dry  Bran  Feeding 28 

Gowell's  Fattening  Secret 28 

Gray's  Fattening  Secret 28 

Greiner's  Corn  Feeding  Secrets 29 

McGrew's  Secret  of  Feeding  During  Molting 30 

Secrets  of  Housing  and  Care 31 

Secret  of  Successful  Yarding 34 

Secret  of  Telling  the  Laying  Hen 35 

Secret  of  200  Eggs  per  Hen  per  Year 36 

Lawney's  Secret  of  Insect  Killers 36 

Secret  of  Successful  Molting 37 

Zimmers'  Secret  of  Securing  Foster  Mothers , 38 

Broody  Hen  Secrets 38 

John  Robmson's  Secret 38 

Secret  of  Chicks  Dying  in  Shell 39 

Secret  of  Scaly  Leg  Cure 40 

Secret  of  How  to  Hold  a  Fowl 40 

Blanchard's  Secret  of  Stopping  Cocks  from  Crowing  at  Night 40 


CONTENTS  5 

PAGE 

Egg  Secrets 41 

Brown's  Secret  of  Preserving  Eggs 41 

Secret  of  Killing  the  Fertility  of  Eggs 41 

Secret  of  Obtaining  Winter  Eggs 41 

Secret  of  the  Angell  System ,   ...  44 

Secret  of  Eggs  All  the  Year 45 

Secret  of  Having  Perfect  Eggs 45 

Kohr's  Secret  of  Selecting  Layers '46 

Kulp's  Secret  of  Producing  Great  Layers 46 

Professor  Rice's  Fat  Hen  Secret 47 

Crane's  Secret  of  Holding  Eggs  for  Hatching       49 

Boswell's  Secret  of  Testing  Eggs      49 

Dr.  Woods'  Egg  Hatching  Secret    ..." 50 

Market  Secrets 51 

Judging  the  Age  of  Dressed  Poultry 51 

Secret  of  Dressing  Fowls 52 

Secret  of  Celery-Fed  Broilers 52 

Secret  of  High-Priced  Stock 52 

Truslow's  Secret  of  High  Prices  for  Ducks S3 

Secrets  of  Exhibiting 55 

Drevenstedt's  Secret  of  Exhibition  Fowls 55 

Heimlich's  Secret  of  Exhibition'Fowls 59 

Zimmer's  Secret  of  Line  Breeding' 60 

Rigg's  Secret  of  Uniform  Markings 61 

Marshall's  Secret  of  Training  Show  Birds 61 

Lambert's  Method  of  Growing  Good  Tails 62 

Heck's  Secret  of  Adding  Exhibition  Weight 63 

Fishel's  Secret  of  Preparing  Fowls  for  Early  Fall  Shows       64 


U       XT. 


n    ^ 


1 

rv; 

<u     o 

,^^ 

o 

x:  ^tj 

H 

XI     c 

"■', 

< 

w 

^  "^ 

D 

^    S 

U 

n  iS 

A 

—    & 

" 

-a    m 

H 

(7) 

d  -a 

W 

oj     d 

03 

><    ^ 

(/) 

oJ 

fd 

a; 

■5     M 

D 

d     C 

f 

lU     ^ 

< 

^  < 

^  < 


^  "V  -^ 


Secrets  of  Fowl  Breeding' 


Burnham's  Secret  of  Breeding 

As  a  rule,  a  two-year-old  made  on  twelve-month-old  females, 
will  give  the  best  results.  The  cock  bird  should  possess  in  full 
vigor  such  qualities  as  will  reproduce  his  superior  form  and 
stamina. 

In  selecting  hens,  pick  out  the  good  layers,  of  generous  size, 
stout  constitution  and  good  form.  A  one-year-old  cock  on  two- 
year-old  hens  is  another  successful  mating. 

Never  allow  two  cocks  in  the  same  pen  at  the  same  time. 
Even  if  they  do  not  quarrel,  they  will  both  annoy  and  injure  the 
hens,  and  prevent  proper  fertilization  of  the  eggs. 

Generally,  one  male  with  eight  or  ten  hens  is  the  best  mat- 
ing; but,  in  case  of  alternating  males  in  the  pens,  as  many  as 
fourteen  females  will  give  equally  as  good  results.  Deformed  or 
over-fat  females  should  never  be  used,  as  these  deformities  will 
probably  be  transmitted  to  the  offspring. 

The  weights  as  given  by  the  American  Standard  of  Perfec- 
tion are  exhibition  weights,  and  are  about  a  pound  heavier  than 
is  advisable  for  breeding  purposes.  Never  use  a  male  that  equals 
or  exceeds  the  Standard  weight. 

Males  that  are  too  greedy,  or  those  that  are  so  gallant  that 
they  will  not  eat  until  the  hens  have  helped  themselves,  are  like- 
wise of  little  value  in  the  breeding  pen,  as  they  will  become  over- 
fed in  the  former  case,  and  underfed  in  the  latter. 

Some  poultrymen,  after  the  breeding  season,  allow  the  dif- 
ferent varieties  to  run  together  on  a  common  range,  and  then  re- 
mate  when  the  hatching  season  again  comes  around.  This  is  a 
serious  mistake  and  spoils  the  guarantee  of  absolute  purity. 
When  a  fowl  or  animal  of  any  fixed  breed  has  once  been  preg- 
nant to  another  of  a  different  variety  and  color,  that  fowl  or  ani- 
mal is  forever  afterward  crossed ;  and  the  original  purity  of  the 
blood  is  lost. 

It  may  perhaps  be  appropriately  stated  here,  that  the  most 
successful  result  in  uniformity  of  production  is  realized  in  breed- 
ing from  one  strain  or  line  of  ancestry  direct.  A  prime,  vigorous 
cock  being  selected  (one  possessing  all  or  a  majority  of  the  fine 
qualities  we  seek  to  perpetuate),  and  this  male  being  bred  to  a 


8 


POULTRY   SECRETS. 


few  hens  of  the  same  type  and  the  best  of  their  kind,  will  give  us 
in  the  first  progeny  uniformly  good  chickens. 

The  pullets  among  this  product,  if  bred  back  to  the  old  cock, 
will  also  give  us  a  majority  of  good  chickens.  The  hens  only,  for 
a  couple  of  years,  should  be  bred  to  the  original  cock,  or  a  cock 
in  the  third  remove  from  him.  (The  cocks  of  the  first  result  can- 
not be  used  adA^antageously  with  any  of  these  hens  or  pullets.) 

Then,  if  more  hens  are  wanted,  fresh  female  blood  should  be 
introduced ;  and  one  or  two  of  the  best  cocks  from  this  last  union 
may  be  bred  back  with  the  second  hens  (at  two  years  old)  to  ad- 
vantage. This  plan  avoids  in-and-in  breeding.  Only  the  best 
birds  should  be  selected  and  mated,  avoiding  as  much  as  possible 
the  breeding  together  of  cockerels  and  pullets  of  the  same  age, 
or  those  which  come  from  eggs  laid  by  the  same  hen. 


Felch's  Secret  of  Mating 


Isaac  K.  Felch  originated  this  remarkable  breeding  chart, 
which  he  termed  "  Arithmetic  in  Poultry  Culture,"  by  which 
method  he  produced  thousands  of  chickens  and  three  strains 
of  blood  from  a  single  pair,  in  the  vigor,  size  and  color  of  the 
original  pair.  This  carefully-treasured  secret  is  very  valuable ; 
The  illustration  shows  solid  and  dotted  lines,  the  former  repre- 
senting the  male,  the  latter  the  female. 
Each  circle  represents  the  progeny. 

In  explanation :  Female  No.  i  mated  to 
male  No.  2  will  produce  group  No.  3, 
which  is  half  the  blood  of  the  sire,  and  half 
that  of  the  dam.  Females  from  group  No. 
3,  mated  back  to  their  own  sire  (No.  2), 
produce  No.  5,  which  is  three-fourths  of 
the  blood  of  the  sire  (No.  2)  and  one- 
fourth  the  blood  of  the  dam  (No.  i). 

A  male  from  group  No.  3,  mated  back 
to  his  own  dam   (No.   i),  produces  group 
No.  4,  which  is  three-fourths  of  the  blood 
of  the   dam    (No.    i)    and   one-fourth  the 
Felch's  Breeding  Chart  blood  of  the  sire  (No.  2). 

Again,  select  a  cockerel  from  group  No.  5,  and  a  pullet  from 
group  No.  4,  or  vice  versa,  which  will  produce  group  No.  7,  which 
is  mathematically  half  the  blood  of  each  of  the  original  pair,Nos. 
I  and  2.     This  is  a  second  step  toward  producing  a  new  strain. 

Females  from  No."^  mated  back  to  the  original  male  (No.  2) 
produce  a  group  that  are  seven-eighths  the  blood  of  No.  2,  and 
a  cockerel  from  No.  4,  mated  back  to  the  original  dam  (No.  i) 


SECRETS   OF   FOWL    BREEDING.  9 

produces  group  No.  6,  which  is  seven-eighths  the  blood  of  the 
original  dam  and  only  one-eighth  the  blood  of  the  original  sire. 

Again,  select  a  male  from  No.  8  and  females  from  No.  6,  and 
for  a  third  time  produce  chicks  (in  group  No.  ii)  that  are  half  the 
blood  of  the  original  pair.  This  is  the  third  step  and  the  ninth 
mating  in  securing  complete  breeding  of  the  new  strain.  In  all 
this,  the  line  of  sires  has  not  been  broken,  for  every  one  has  come 
from  a  group  in  which  the  preponderance  of  blood  was  that  of  the 
original  sire.    Nos.  2,  8,  13  and  18  are  virtually  the  blood  of  No.  2. 

The  point  is  now  reached  where  can  be  established  a  male 
line  whose  blood  is  virtually  that  of  the  original  dam.  If  now  a 
male  is  selected  from  No.  6  and  mated  with  a  female  from  No.  4, 
group  No.  9  will  be  produced,  which  is  i3-i6ths  the  blood  of  the 
original  dam  CNo.  i)  and  3-i6ths  the  blood  of  the  original  sire 
(No.  2). 

Again  select  a  male  from  No.  9,  and  a  female  of  the  new 
strain  (No.  11)  and  produce  group  No.  14,  which  becomes  21- 
32ds  of  the  blood  of  the  original  dam,  thus  preserving  her  strain 
of  blood. 

A  male  from  No.  13,  which  is  i3-i6ths  the  blood  of  the  origi- 
nal sire  (No.  2),  mated  to  females  from  No.  10,  which  are  5-i6ths 
the  blood  of  the  original  sire  (No.  2)  gives  group  No.  17,  which 
is  9-i6ths  the  blood  of  said  sire. 

Mr.  Felch  says :  "  While  in  No.  16  we  have  the  new  strain, 
and  in  No.  18  the  strain  of  our  original  sire  (No.  2),  we  have 
three  distinct  strains,  and  by  and  with  this  systematic  use  we  can 
go  on  breeding  for  all  time  to  come."  Remember  that  each  dotted 
line  is  a  female  selection,  and  each  solid  line  the  male  selection. 


Mendel's  Secret  of  Heredity 


Gregor  Mendel,  after  much  study  and  research,  discovered 
that  heredity  was  no  mystery,  but  instead  a  natural  phenomenon, 
subject  to  attack  by  the  scientific  method  of  observation  and  ex- 
periment. 

Mendel  experimented  first  with  the  vegetable  kingdom,  and 
his  hybridization  trials  and  tests  became  the  basis  for  a  new  and 
important  hereditary  idea  which  promises  to  revolutionize  the 
breeding  of  plants,  poultry  and  animals.  While  his  early  experi- 
ments were  with  plants,  the  same  principle  also  holds  good  with 
animals. 

According  to  Mendel's  theory  we  can  take  fowls — say  the 
Wyandottes — taking  two  distinct  colors,  the  white  and  the  black. 
We  cross  them ;  and.  as  a  result,  instead  of  being  of  an  intennedi- 
ate  color,  we  find  the  offspring  are  all  black,  like  the  black  parent. 


lO 


POULTRY   SECRETS. 


O- 


CUiSiUKJOF  ^      ^„    ^.O      QciLlSOFCOCK 


DOUmUT  BLACK    ' 
H£N 


5-5 


gKHYBRIOiAHIMmS 
\OWIHAHT  BLACK 
COCK 


This  proves  that  black  is  dominant  to  white,  the  latter  being 
recessive. 

Now,  if  we  breed  together  the  hybrid  blacks,  we  shall  have 
blacks  and  whites  in  the  proportion  of  three  of  the  former  to  one 
of  the  latter.  The  white  so  formed  will  breed  true  after  that, 
and  throw  no  blacks,  notwithstanding  their  black  ancestry. 

Mendel  tells  us  that  there  are  two  classes  of  blacks.  The 
one  might  be  termed  pure  dominants,  which  throw  only  blacks 
when  mated  with  a  white  bird,  and  the  other  is  classed  as  impure 
dominants  which  give  results  like  the  original  hybrids  when  mated 
together,  giving  blacks  and  whites  in  the  ratio  of  three  to  one. 
Such  birds,  crossed  with  whites,  produce  equal  numbers  of  black 
and  white. 

The  formation  of  a  new  individual,  Mendel  explains,  is  the 

result  of  the  union  of  two  germ- 
cells,  of  which  one  is  provided  by 
each  parent,  the  spermatozoon  or 
pollen  given  by  the  male,  and  the 
ovum  or  ^gg  cell  by  the  female. 

Going  back  to  the  crossing  of 
the  black  and  white  Wyandotte, 
we  have  the  inheritance  of  two 
alternative  characters — black  and 
white.  The  main  idea  is  that  any 
given  germ-cell  can  contain  only 
one  of  these  alternative  characters. 
Then,  in  the  present  instance  every 
germ-cell  must  carry  either  black 
or  white,  but  not  both. 

In  other  words,  when  a  "  black  " 
germ  meets  another  "  black  "  germ,  there  will  be  a  pure  domi- 
nant black  chicken,  which  itself  can  produce  only  black  germs ; 
when  a  "  white  "  germ  meets  a  "  white  "  germ,  a  white  chicken 
results,  which  can  give  rise  to  "  white  "  germs  only.  Likewise, 
when  a  "  black  "  germ  meets  a  "  white  "  germ,  the  resulting  bird 
is  in  appearance  a  black,  for  the  r'^'ason  that  blackness  is  dominant 
over  whiteness.  But  when  such  a  bird  comes  to  form  germ-cells, 
says  Mendel,  the  black  and  the  white  characters  separate  from  one 
another  and  pass  singly  into  the  germ-cells. 

Therefore,  a  bird  which  has  been  formed  by  the  union  of  a 
"  black  "  and  a  ''  white  "  germ-cell  does  not  form  "  gray  "  germ- 
cells,  but  forms  equal  numbers  of  "  black  "  and  "  white  "  germ- 
cells.  The  breeding  together  of  the  hybrids,  therefore,  means  the 
coming  together  of  two  sets  of  germ-cells,  each  consisting  of  equal 
numbers  of  blacks  and  whites.  There  can  be  only  one  result 
coming  from  this — the  creating  of  a  number  of  offspring,  of  which 


o...... 


5^1 

1^*       rv 


X)' 


„..-o  ) 


I3i 


im  itCOKS  HYBm  CEHtDAfm 
COKSIiTimOF  THSKBLKHTWa 

orncM  iMfmMcvmwm 


SECRETS    OF    FOWL    BREEDING.  II 

one-quarter  are  formed  by  the  union  of  two  "  black  "  germ-cells, 
one-quarter  by  union  of  two  "  white  "  germ-cells,  and  two-quar- 
ters by  the  union  of  a  black  and  white.  Like  the  original  hybrids, 
these  last  will  be  black  to  the  eye,  for  the  reason  that  blackness 
is  dominant  to  whiteness  where  both  exist  in  the  same  individual. 

Now,  going  to  a  further  generation,  we  find  that  if  the  whites 
are  bred  together  they  will  breed  true,  notwithstanding  that  both 
of  their  ancestors  were  black.  There  can  be  no  blacks,  as  the 
black  character  has  been  split  clean  out  of  the  germ-cells  from 
which  they  arose. 

There  are  two  classes  of  the  blacks,  of  which  one  is  twice 
as  numerous  as  the  other.  There  are  the  hybrid  blacks  formed  by 
the  union  of  a  "  white  "  and  a  "  black  "  germ-cell,  and  when  bred 
together  they  act  like  the  original  hybrids  in  that  a  quarter  of  their ' 
offspring  are  whites.  The  other  class  of  blacks  consists  of  those 
formed  by  the  union  of  two  black  germ-cells.  These  breed  as 
true  to  blackness  as  the  original  pure  black  grandparent.  It  is 
here  that  the  great  practical  importance  of  Mendel's  discovery 
lies.  When  a  cross  is  made  between  two  pure  strains  which 
differ  from  one  another  in  respect  of  a  single  pair  of  characters 
only,  the  second  generation  will  contain  a  definite  proportion  of 
individuals  which  breed  as  true  to  the  characters  they  exhibit  as 
did  the  original  parents. 

Boyer*s  Secret  of  Alternating  Males  for  Fertility 

The  writer  breeds  White  Wyandottes,  Light  Brahmas  and 
White  Leghorns — covering  the  American,  Asiatic  and  Mediterra- 
nean classes.  In  mating,  fourteen  females  are  quartered  in  each 
Wyandotte  pen  ;  ten  in  each  Brahma  pen ;  and  twenty- four  in  each 
Leghorn  pen.  The  male  bird  in  each  pen  is  changed  each  week. 
The  plan  adopted  is  as  follows :  Each  house  contains  three  pens, 
and  four  males  (all  brothers)  are  assigned  to  each  house.  The 
males  go  by  Nos.  i,  2,  3  and  4  and  the  pens  by  Nos.  i,  2  and  3. 
In  the  start  Cock  No.  i  is  placed  in  Pen  No.  i ;  Cock  No.  2  in 
Pen  No.  2 ;  Cock  No.  3  in  Pen  No.  3  ;  and  Cock  No.  4  in  a  cage  in 
another  building.  At  the  end  of  the  v/eek,  Cock  No.  i  is  taken 
to  the  aforesaid  building  and  placed  in  a  cage ;  Cock  No.  2  takes 
his  place  in  Pen  No  i ;  Cock  No.  3  goes  into  Pen  No.  2 ;  and  Cock 
No.  4  goes  into  Pen  No.  3.  So  on  each  week  the  changes  are 
made  in  regular  order.  This  gives  each  male  bird  the  advantage 
of  three  weeks  with  the  hens  and  one  week  of  rest  each  month. 

Where  male  birds  are  continually  in  the  same  pen,  they  grow 
sluggish,  and  besides  will  have  their  favorite  hens,  paying  no 
attention  to  the  others.  On  the  other  hand,  hens  have  their  likes 
and  dislikes,  and  will  fight  off  certain  males,  and  welcome  others. 
But  where  there  is  a  weekly  change  of  males,  there  is  considerable 


12 


POULTRY   SECRETS. 


less  chance  for  favoritism,  and  the  eggs  not  only  give  a  higher 
percentage  of  fertility,  but  the  chicks  are  stronger. 

Some  writers  advise  changing  males  each  night.  Aside  from 
the  labor  this  plan  necessitates,  I  have  found  that  it  is  detrimental 
to  a  good  hatch.  In  the  first  place  this  constant  changing 
harasses  the  hens,  besides  in  some  males  it  means  inattention,  as 
they  hardly  have  time  to  become  acquainted  with  the  females. 

On  the  farm  of  the  writer  this  changing  of  males  is  begun 
January  ist  and  kept  up  until  June  ist.  During  June  no  changes 
are  made,  and  on  July  ist  all  the  male  birds  are  removed  from  the 
pens  and  placed  in  separate  enclosures,  where  they  remain  until 
the  following  January.  This  giv^s  both  sexes  a  good  chance  to 
molt,  and  the  eggs  laid  by  the  unmated  hens  will  keep  in  a  good 
condition  twice  as  long  as  those  that  are  fertilized.  There  used  to 
be  a  belief  that  hens  would  not  lay  so  well  unmated  as  when 
mated,  but  this  theory  has  been  found  to  be  incorrect.  The  pres- 
ence of  the  male  has  no  influence  whatever  on  egg  production. 
The  mission  of  the  male  is  to  fertilize  the  eggs  and  right  there  his 
usefulness  ends. 


Cages  For  Breeding  Males 

Each  cage  measures  i  x  «  feet,  2  feet  high,  with  door  made  of  one-inch  wire  netting 


SECRETS  OF  FOWL  BREEDING.  1 3 

The  Secret  of  the  Philo  System 

Wide-awake  poultrymen  may  have  noticed  in  many  of  the 
leading  journals  of  the  country  an  advertisement  telling  of  a 
system  capable  of  producing  $200.00  in  six  months  from  twenty 
^hens,  and  with  other  startling  headlines.  This  is  the  advertising 
of  the  Philo  System  developed  by  E.  W.  Philo,  a  well-known 
poultrym.an  of  Elmira,  N.  Y. 

The  secret  of  the  Philo  system  is  to  crowd  much  in  little 
space  and  yet  have  the  stock  do  well.  The  keynote  to  the  Philo 
system,  so  far  as  there  can  be  said  to  be  a  dominating  note,  is 
small  numbers  together.  A  few  eggs  together  in  the  incubator 
(just  as  there  are  but  a  few  under  the  hen),  a  few  chicks  together 
in  a  brooder,  a  few  youngsters  together  in  a  colony  coop,  a  few 
layers  in  a  small  house.  The  development  of  the  system  has 
brought  about  the  adoption  of  this  foundation  principle,  and  upon 
this  foundation  the  great  success  of  the  system  is  based. 

Mr.  Philo  has  found  that  the  more  frequently  the  eggs  are 
turned  in  the  incubator,  the  better  the  hatch,  other  conditions 
being  right.  He  recommends  to  turn  the  eggs  three  times  a  day, 
instead  of  twice  as  is  generally  recommended,  and  he  says  there 
will  be  no  cripples  in  consequence. 

He  broods  the  chicks,  winter  and  summer  alike,  in  the 
brooder  without  heat  of  any  kind,  the  theory  being  that  with  the 
right  device  the  natural  heat  of  the  chick  is  ample  for  all  purposes. 

The  tiny  houses,  or  "  colony  coops,"  in  which  Mr.  Philo  keeps 
six  head  of  layers,  are  most  interesting,  and  they  fully  illustrate 
the  "  small  units  "  basis  of  the  Philo  system.  They  are  but  three 
feet  wide  each,  by  six  feet  long,  and  although  but  four  feet  high 
to  the  eaves  (five  feet  to  gable)  they  are  two  stories ;  the  upper 
floor  is  the  roosting-laying-feeding  apartment;  the  ground  floor 
is,  literally,  a  "  ground  floor,"  and  is  the  exercising  room. 

Mr.  Philo  doesn't  feed  green  cut  bone  or  beef  scraps,  believ- 
ing he  gets  just  as  good  an  egg  yield  and  more  hatchable  eggs 
without  scraps,  and  says  "  you  cannot  get  good,  hatchable  eggs 
when  feeding  green  cut  bone." 

The  eminent  success  of  the  system  as  a  whole  is  shown  on 
the  little  back-yard  plant,  where  Mr.  Philo  now  has  the  sixth 
generation  of  birds  hatched,  reared  and  kept  by  it,  all  on  the 
tiniest  plots  of  ground,  and  as  sturdy-healthy  birds  as  one  can  see 
anywhere.  The  summer  coop  covers  thirty  square  feet  of 
ground,  and  sixteen  birds  have  a  little  less  than  two  square  feet 
of  ground  space  each. 

To  get  eggs  when  prices  are  high,  the  Philo  System  advo- 
cates changing  the  season  for  hatching,  so  that  the  hens  will  molt 
in  the  spring  as  naturally  as  they  now  do  in  the  fall.  This  is  done 
by  each  year  using  only  the  early-hatched  cockerels  and  pullets 
for  the  breeders.     It  will  take  several  years,  however,  before  this 


14  POULTRY    SECRETS. 

plan  can  meet  with  any  degree  of  success.  This  advice  calls  for 
careful  breeding,  just  as  broodiness  has  been  bred  out,  or  rather 
more  or  less  reduced  in  some  breeds. 

Philo  claims  that  by  proper  selection  and  breeding  it  is  possi- 
ble to  produce  eggs  that  will  show  good  fertility,  and  the  chicks 
will  be  as  strong  if  hatched  in  winter  as  in  June.  Now  if  the 
pullets  are  in  condition  to  lay  through  the  winter,  they  will  molt 
during  the  spring,  and  will  be  in  good  condition  to  produce  high- 
priced  eggs  during  the  fall  and  winter,  just  at  a  time  when  the 
spring-hatched  pullets  will  be  on  a  vacation. 

The  Philo  System  is  particularly  applicable  to  the  small 
village  and  city  poultry  plant,  and  of  less  merit  to  the  average 
farmer  whose  poultry  ranges  over  many  acres. 

While  the  Philo  System  Book  is  well  worth  purchase  and 
study,  purchasers  should  not  assume  that  they  can  equal  at  once 
the  remarkable  profits  Mr.  Philo  has  personally  secured  from  his 
ilock. 

The  Secret  of  the  Grundy  Method 

Fred  Grundy,  of  Morrisonville,  III.,  a  well-known  writer  for 
the  farm  press,  has  advertised  widely,  at  the  price  of  $2.00,  his 
little  book  called  the  "  Famous  Grundy  Method."  "  Feed  at 
8  cents  a  bushel  "  is  one  of  the  strong  points  of  his  advertising, 
and  he  says  that  his  book  is  l)ased  on  a  series  of  several  hundred 
experiments,  requiring  from  two  months'  to  a  year's  time. 

Among  the  contents  of  the  Grundy  book  are : 

The  bifold  method,  which  is  starting  eggs  under  hens  and 
finishing  up  the  hatch  in  incubators.  This  is  the  reverse  of  Dr. 
Woods'  egg-hatching  secret  described  on  page  50.  The  difficulty 
of  the  Grundy  plan  is  to  get  a  sufficient  number  of  eggs  started 
at  one  time  to  keep  even  a  small-sized  incubator  running. 

Mr.  Grundy's  "  cheap  and  perfect  food  "  is  not  a  new  idea. 
I  advocated  and  published  a  bill  of  fare,  practically  the  same, 
about  twelve  years  ago,  using  clover  hay  instead  of  alfalfa,  as  at 
that  time  alfalfa  was  not  on  the  market  as  a  poultry  feed.  I 
steamed  the  clover  over  night,  and  in  the  morning,  after  again 
heating  it,  I  mixed  equal  parts,  by  weight,  of  bran,  cornmeal,  mid- 
dlings, ground  oats  and  meat  scraps  with  it.  This  was  given  in  a 
crumbly  state.  Sometimes  I  cooked  the  cut  clover  hay  instead  of 
steaming  it.     Hay  is  the  very  best  kind  of  bulky  food  to  give  hens. 

Mr.  Grundy  cuts  his  alfalfa  hay  into  quarter-inch  lengths, 
as  that  size  is  about  right  for  the  hens,  and  each  evening  he  pours 
two  gallons  of  boiling  water  over  an  eight-gallon  tub  of  the  hay, 
covers  closely  and  allows  to  steam  until  morning.  To  this,  the 
next  morning,  he  adds  a  quart  of  wheat  bran  and  two  quarts  each 
of  middlings  and  cornmeal,  mixing  the  whole  thoroughly  to- 
gether.    The  steaming  softens  the  fiber  of  the  hay,  and  the  moist- 


SRCRETS  OF  FOWL  BREEDING.  1 5 

ure  enables  the  meals  to  stick  to  it.  This  feed,  Mr.  Grundy  says, 
costs  him  "  from  six  to  fifteen  cents  a  bushel."  The  author  claims 
that  he  can  increase  the  weight  of  hundreds  of  fowls  from  two 
to  thrc-e  pounds  in  ten  to  fifteen  days  on  this  food,  at  a  cost  of 
only  six  to  twelve  cents  for  each  bird.  Mr.  Grundy  claims  to 
have  devised  and  built  the  first  scratching  shed  used  in  this  coun- 
try. It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  I.  K.  Felch  built  and  advocated 
a  scratching  shed  thirty  or  more  years  ago. 

While  containing  many  excellent  ideas,  there  is  very  little 
in  the  Grundy  book  that  has  not  been  known  to  the  poultry  world 
for  years. 

The  Curtiss  Secret  of  Hatching  More  Pullets 
Than  Cockerels 

W.  R.  Curtiss,  who  is  the  head  of  the  largest  poul- 
try farm  in  Western  New  York  (capacity  100,000  head  annually), 
sends  us  the  following  valuable  secret : 

Everyone  knows  that  in  order  to  get  what  pullets  they 
want,  they  must  also  hatch  cockerels,  as  there  is  no  known  way 
of  hatching  all  pullets.  However,  we  are  enabled  to  overcome 
this  difficulty  to  a  considerable  extent  by  following  these  rules  in 
mating  up  breeding  pens :  In  the  lighter  breeds  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean classes,  we  use  one  yearling  cock  bird  of  known  reliability 
to  from  thirty  to  forty  well-developed,  vigorous  pullets.  With 
American  breeds  we  use  one  yearling  male  of  known  reliability 
to  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  well-developed,  vigorous  pullets. 
By  giving  these  birds  as  large  yards  as  possible,  of  unlimited 
range,  if  it  can  be  had,  we  find  that  our  hatches  average  from  60 
to  75  per  cent,  pullets,  and  by  this  means  we  do  not  have  to  raise 
so  many  chicks  to  get  the  number  of  pullets  we  want,  as  we  do 
if  we  use  less  females  in  our  breeding  pens.  A  trial  of  this 
method  will  convince  the  most  skeptical. 

Davis's  Secret  of  Raising  Every  Chick 

Howard  L.  Davis  contributes  this  valuable  information  as  the 
result  of  his  long  experience :  The  egg  from  which  a  chick  is 
to  come  must  be  from  strong,  healthy,  vigorous  stock,  properly 
fed  and  cared  for,  so  that  the  egg  contains  all  the  elements  and 
strength  to  produce  a  livable  chick. 

It  must  be  properly  incubated  to  produce  a  livable  chick, 
which  means  that  during  its  twenty-one  days  of  incubation  it 
must  have  exactly  the  proper  degree  of  heat,  not  about  the  proper 
degree  of  heat.  Too  high  a  temperature  is  one  of  the  main  causes 
,of  diarrhoea  in  chicks.  Too  low  a  temperature,  especially  the  first 
week,  is  the  main  cause  of  deformed  chicks  and  cripples,  and 


l6  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

either  too  low  or  too  high  a  temperature  means  chicks  that  will 
not  live. 

The  egg  chamber  in  which  the  egg  is  hatched  must  also 
contain  exactly  the  proper  degree  of  humidity.  Not  as  some  peo- 
ple say,  to  supply  moisture  to  the  egg,  but  to  supply  moisture  to 
the  air  of  the  egg  chamber,  so  that  the  exact  amount  of  evapora- 
tion from  the  egg  takes  place.  Moisture  can  in  no  way  be  supy- 
plied  to  an  egg.  Too  much  or  too  rapid  evaporation  means  little, 
puny,  weak  chicks.  Too  little  or  too  slow  evaporation  means 
chicks  too  large  to  free  themselves,  and  dead  in  the  shell. 

The  egg  chamber  must  also  be  ventilated.  Never  from  the 
bottom.  No  matter  what  kind  of  an  incubator  you  are  running, 
if  it  has  an  open  bottom,  or  it  has  ventilators  in  the  bottom,  or  any 
crevices  in  which  the  air  can  leak  out  through  the  bottom,  far 
better  results  will  always  be  obtained  if  they  are  entirely  closed. 
Bottom  ventilation  means  cripples  and  deformed  chicks. 

The  chick,  having  been  hatched  under  the  above  conditions, 
after  exactly  twenty-one  days  of  incubation,  should  then  be  given 
comfortable  sleeping  quarters,  never  more  than  fifty  together,  not 
where  there  is  any  artificial  heat,  but  where  the  heat  from  their 
own  bodies  will  keep  them  comfortable,  and  where  it  is  dark ;,  and 
properly  fed.  Given  such  a  condition,  you  are  then  able  to 
produce  the  great  secret,  which  will  enable  you  to  raise  every 
chick  so  hatched. 


Babcock*s   Secret  of  Developing  the  Spike  on]^a 
Rose  Combed  Fowl 

H.  L.  Babcock,  one  of  the  old-time  poultry  authorities,  sends 
this  valuable  secret :  In  rose-combed  varieties,  it  not  infrequently 
happens  that  the  spike  is  undeveloped.  The  end  of  the  comb 
looks  somewhat  as  a  rubber  ball  does  when  a  portion  of  its  sur- 
face has  been  pushed  in.  This  may  be  the  case  with  the  finest 
bird  that  a  breeder  possesses.  Such  a  retained  spike  may  be 
brought  out  and  developed  by  manipulation.  Take  the  comb  be- 
tween the  thumb  and  forefinger  and  keep  rubbing  it  back  and 
forth.  Continue  the  work  until  the  inverted  spike  is  pressed  out 
into  its  proper  position.  This  sometimes  can  be  done  in  a  few 
minutes ;  sometimes  it  may  take  considerable  time  and  more  than 
one  operation.  But  if  taken  in  time,  the  spike  may  be  developed, 
and  the  value  of  a  fine  specimen  greatly  enhanced.  It  is  best  to 
take  such  cases  in  hand  as  soon  as  discovered,  but  I  have  known 
the  work  to  be  done  successfully  while  the  bird  was  in  the  show 
room. 

Such  work  is  not  faking.  The  spike  is  there,  but  for  some 
reason  it  has  not  come  out  into  its  natural  position. 


Secrets  of  Feeding 


There  is  more  in  the  feed  than  in  the  breed.  To  secure  the 
proper  results  you  must  give  the  .right  amount  of  food,  of  the 
right  kind,  at  the  right  time.  You  must  closely  watch  the  appe- 
tites of  the  fowls  so  that  you  can  properly  cater  to  them.  Just 
what  would  be  right  for  one  flock  might  be  wrong  for  another. 

Fowls  in  a  wild  state  live  on  seeds,  green  stuff  and  bugs  and 
worms.  In  the  state  of  domestication  these  articles  must  be  sup- 
plied in  some  form  or  other. 

Just  before  it  matures  is  about  the  most  hungry  period  in  a 
bird's  life.  It  can  eat  more  then  than  at  any  other  time,  and  if  it 
does  not  get  all  it  can  eat,  more  harm  is  done  than  can  be  repaired 
during  the  rest  of  its  life. 

If  you  will  go  to  the  trouble  of  examining  the  crops  of  the 
fowls  at  night  while  they  are  on  the  roost,  it  can  be  pretty  well 
determined  whether  they  are  getting  enough  or  not.  If  the  crop 
is  distended  and  hard,  too  much  is  being  fed ;  if  nearly  empty,  too 
little  is  given.  The  grain  in  the  crop  should  fill  it  comfortably 
full,  yet  the  skin  ought  not  to  be  as  tight  as  a  drum,  but  rather 
loose  and  yielding.     The  healthy  hen  is  a  hearty  eater. 

The  poultryman  who  studies  the  appetites  of  his  flocks,  and 
feeds  accordingly,  never  fails  in  putting  his  feed  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage. It  is  always  well  to  have  the  fowls  partially  hungry. 
This  will  induce  them  to  scratch  in  the  hope  of  finding  some  more. 
Scratching  is  the  best  exercise  hens  can  get. 

To  be  continually  changing  the  bill  of  fare  rather  hurts  than 
benefits  egg  production.  Have  one  system  of  feeding,  but  let 
that  system  contain  as  much  variety  as  possible.  Purity  of  food 
is  important. 

The  hungry  hen  is  seldom  choice  in  the  selection  of  her  food. 
To  feed  properly  conditions  must  be  studied.  The  amount  and 
quality  of  food  that  would  keep  a  Wyandotte  in  good  condition 
would  likely  overfatten  a  Plymouth  Rock. 

Overfeeding  is  not  feeding  well.  It  is  what  a  hen  is  able 
to  digest  and  assimilate,  and  not  what  it  eats,  that  makes  both 
eggs  and  flesh.  The  principal  requirement  of  a  hen  is  a  balanced 
ration  and  regular  feeding.  "  A  feast  to-day  and  a  famine  to- 
morrow "  will  upset  the  best  of  layers.  If  the  stock  is  doing  well 
under  the  present  system  of  feeding,  it  is  a  mistake  to  make  a 
change  in  the  bill  of  fare. 

Careful  calculations  show  that  a  fowl  will  eat,  on  an  average. 


l8  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

three  ounces  of  the  morning  mash ;  two  ounces  of  grain  at  noon ; 
and  four  ounces  of  grain  at  night.  There  can  be  no  set  rules  for 
feeding.  Like  human  beings,  fowls  vary  in  appetite.  We  must 
approximate  the  amount.  The  quality  must  be  determined  ac- 
cording to  the  object  in  view. 

The  plan  adopted  by  the  writer  is  to  give  a  large  iron  spoon- 
ful of  mash  in  the  morning  for  every  two  fowls  in  the  pen.  The 
spoonful  means  about  as  much  as  one  would  be  able  to  pick  up 
with  the  hand.  At  night,  a  full  handful  of  mixed  grains  for  every 
fowl  in  the  pen  is  about  all  they  can  eat,  and  that  amount  will 
carry  them  over  in  comfort  until  the  next  morning.  But  when 
it  is  noticed  that  they  do  not  readily  clean  up  the  allowance,  the 
next  day  the  amount  should  be  cut  down,  and  continued  so  until 
the  appetite  is  again  fully  restored.  Some  fowls  can  exist,  and 
be  prolific,  on  almost  half  what  would  be  needed  for  others. 
When  this  is  noticed  in  a  pen  it  is  advisable  to  cut  down  their 
allowance  to  meet  the  demand. 

Sudden  changes  in  the  bill  of  fare  very  often  throw  fowls  off 
their  appetite.  I  had  a  little  experience  in  that  line  some  time 
ago.  A  fellow  poultryman  purchased  a  lot  of  sweepings  from  the 
grain  elevators.  These  sweepings  contained  wheat,  corn,  flaxseed, 
bran,  middlings,  etc.  The  fowls  did  not  take  kindly  to  the  mix- 
ture, and  the  result  was,  there  was  a  general  decline  in  the  egg 
crop.  Just  as  soon  as  the  old  bill  of  fare  was  resumed,  the  egg 
yield  increased,  and  gave  a  good  record.  While  the  articles  con- 
tained in  that  mixture  were  substantial  egg  foods,  they  were  not 
rightly  balanced,  and  there  was  too  much  waste. 

As  a  general  thing,  more  fowls  are  overfed  than  underfed, 
especially  where  small  flocks,  or  a  limited  number,  are  kept. 
While  overfeeding  has  its  bad  effects,  underfeeding  is  equally  as 
bad.  An  underfed  hen  may  receive  sufficient  food  to  sustain  the 
body,  but  there  is  a  lack  of  material  for  egg  making.  It  should 
be  known  that  the  first  food  a  fowl  takes  goes  toward  the  build- 
ing up  of  waste  tissues,  and  the  overplus  to  the  making  of  eggs 
or  fat,  according  to  the  quality  of  food  given. 


Feeding  Grains 

I  have  learned  to  study  chemistry  in  feeding  poultry.  The 
carcass  of  a  hen  consists  of  fat,  lean  meat,  and  bone.  If  we 
examine  the  food  that  a  hen  eats  we  discover,  in  wheat  for  exam- 
ple, that  it  contains  starch  and  oil  (the  carbohydrates  or  fat- form- 
ing material),  which  is  the  fat  of  the  grain  and  which,  when 
eaten  by  the  animal,  goes  to  make  heat,  energy  and  fat.  We  see 
also  little  grains  of  gluten,  which  might  be  called  the  lean  of  the 
grain,  and  which,  when  utilized  by  the  animal,  makes  the  lean 
meat.     We    further   find    the   mineral    matter  (the  ash),  which 


SECRETS   OF    FEEDING.  I9 

might  be  called  the  bone  of  the  wheat,  and  which,  when  assimi- 
lated by  the  animal,  makes  bone  and  egg-shell.  Therefore  it  is 
easy  to  understand  why  it  is  that  when  food  is  deficient  in  lime 
and  other  mineral  matter  the  eggs  are  soft-shelled;  why  a  ration 
deficient  in  protein  produces  weak,  spindling  chickens,  or  a  ration 
containing  an  excess  of  easily  digestible  carbohydrate  matter 
causes  the  fowl  to  become  excessively  fat.  Thus  we  see  the 
necessity  of  having  properly  balanced  rations ;  which  simply 
means  that  there  must  be  a  properly  balanced  relationship  be- 
tween the  food  nutrients  in  the  ration  in  order  to  produce  a  per- 
fect animal  or  a  perfect  c^gg.  A  proper  understanding  of  this  se- 
cret means  profit. 

If  hens  are  fed  their  grain  feed  in  such  way  that  they  have 
to  exercise  vigorously  to  get  their  daily  feed,  they  are  much  more 
apt  to  lay  than  if  fed  plenty  of  prepared  feed  in  troughs,  allowing 
them  to  remain  idle.     This  is  very  important. 

The  value  of  grains  for  poultry  feeding  are  about  in  this 
order:  Wheat,  oats,  corn,  barley  and  buckwheat.  Corn  makes 
fat  and  furnishes  fuel.  It  should  never  be  the  exclusive  grain 
diet.  The  cry  of  "  cholera  "  comes  mainly  from  sections  of  the 
country  where  corn  is  principally  fed  to  fowls.  Strictly  speaking, 
these  "  cholera  "  cases  are  indigestion.  Indian  com  should  always 
be  fed  in  conjunction  with  some  protein  food  like  wheat.  Both 
barley  and  buckwheat  are  fattening.  Too  much  of  the  latter  has 
a  tendency  to  produce  costiveness ;  it  also  will  whiten  the  flesh  of 
the  carcass  if  fed  liberally. 

For  the  purpose  of  producting  white  flesh,  feed  oats,  buck- 
wheat and  skim  milk;  and  to  produce  yellow  flesh  feed  boiled 
pumpkins,  turnips  and  yellow  com. 

Beans,  being  highly  nitrogenous,  are  excellent  as  a  variety  in 
the  bill  of  fare.  Pop  corn  contains  more  nitrogen  and  phosphates 
than  the  regular  Indian  com.  In  feeding  grain  at  night,  it  should 
be  given  an  hour  before  dusk,  so  that  the  fowls  can  well  fill  their 
crops  before  going  to  roost. 

The  majority  of  fowls  get  far  too  much  grain,  such  as  com, 
oats,  wheat,  bran,  etc.,  to  the  exclusion  of  animal  substances  and 
green  or  vegetable  foods,  such  as  clover  rowen,  grass,  cabbages, 
beets,  turnips,  etc.  Grain  is  a  very  heavy,  hearty,  heating  and 
concentrating  staple  of  diet,  and  was  never  intended  to  be  fed 
stock  without  other  addition. 

English  authorities  say  we  American  poultry  raisers  feed 
entirely  too  much  maize  (corn),  and  I  know  that  this  is  so.  We 
do  not,  as  a  rule,  give  enough  variety.  The  farmer  seems  to  think 
that  all  the  hens  need  is  enough  com  so  that  they  can  help  them- 
selves at  will,  and  the  reason  they  assign  for  poor  winter  laying 
is  that  it  is  unnatural  for  a  hen  to  lay  at  that  season.  As  one 
"  expert "  asserted :  "  It  takes  the  warm  suns  of  spring  to  thaw 
open  the  ovaries."     The  secret  of  corn  is  not  too  much. 


20  POULTRY    SECRETS. 

Dr.  P.  T.  Woods*  Laying-Food  Secret 

Nearly  all  commercial  "  laying-foods  "  now  sold  to  poultry- 
men  can  be  improved  by  adding  "  gluten  feed."  When  so  im- 
proved and  fed  as  a  dry  mash  the  increase  in  egg  yield  is  re- 
markable. 

Take  of  the  ground-grain,  ready-mixed,  commercial  laying 
food,  4  measures ;  best  yellow  gluten  feed,  3  measures ;  coarse 
wheat  bran,  i  measure;  mealed  alfalfa  or  mealed  clover,  i  meas- 
ure ;  best  meat  meal,  i  measure.  Mix.  Keep  before  laying  stock 
all  the  time  in  an  easy-access  food  hopper.  In  addition  feed  fresh 
green  food  freely.  To  each  twenty-five  hens  also  give  as  first 
morning  feed  in  scratching  litter  one  quart  of  clean,  bright, 
cracked,  yellow  com.  At  noon  feed  in  litter  one  pint  hard  sound 
wheat  and  one  pint  heavy  clipped  white  oats  to  each  twenty-five 
hens.  Keep  water,  grit,  oyster  shells  and  charcoal  always  before 
them. 

This  plan  is  for  laying  stock  for  market  eggs  only.  It  is  too 
forcing  for  breeding  stock  for  best  results.  Early  hatched  pullets 
and  hardy,  vigorous  yearlings,  that  do  not  bag  down  behind,  are 
best  to  force  for  eggs.  Do  not  give  them  too  liberal  range.  Con- 
finement in  fresh-air  house  and  small  runs  is  better  where  eggs 
alone  are  wanted. 

Do  not  keep  any  male  bird  with  this  market-egg  laying  stock. 
It  saves  his  food.  The  hens  lay  better  without  him.  It  prevents 
blood  clots,  streaks  or  spots  in  the  eggs.  Sterile  or  virgin  eggs 
so  produced  keep  better,  taste  better  and  sell  better.  Twenty-five 
to  fifty  layers  may  be  kept  in  one  flock. 


Feeding  Linseed  Meal 

Oil  cake  meal  is  linseed  meal.  It  is  the  product  of  linseed  oil 
factories.  It  is  rich  in  albumen.  Properly  fed  it  promotes  gen- 
eral health  and  keeps  the  fowls  in  proper  condition.  During  the 
molting  period  it  is  especially  beneficial. 

I  find  that  five  pounds  mixed  with  one  hundred  pounds  of 
ground  grain  is  the  right  proportion  to  feed.  This  discovery  has 
been  a  valuable  one  to  me. 

Linseed  meal  is  very  fattening,  and  therefore  must  not  be  fed 
too  strongly.  An  over  amount  is  pretty  sure  to  bring  on  cases 
of  looseness  of  the  bowels. 

Thos.  F.  Rigg's  method:  He  uses  linseed  meal  in  the  soft 
food  for  both  breeding  stock  and  growing  chicks.  He  uses  it  in 
the  proportion  of  about  i  to  10, — that  is,  one  part  linseed  to  ten 
parts  mixture  of  cornmeal,  wheat  bran  and  ground  oats.     This  he 


SECRETS  OF  FEEDING.  21 

feeds  to  the  chicks  once  each  day,  the  mixture  being  thoroughly 
cooked. 

Oil  meal  regulates  the  bowels  and  keeps  the  chicks  in  a 
healthy  condition.     This  means  extra  money  to  you. 

Meat 

Animal  food  is  a  necessity,  but  too  much  of  it  is  apt  to  cause 
digestive  troubles.  There  is  more  albumen  in  a  pound  of  meat 
than  in  a  bushel  of  corn. 

A  meat  diet,  judiciously  fed,  will  materially  increase  the  egg 
supply.  Nearly  all  breeders  are  aware  of  the  value  of  animal 
food ;  but,  though  considered  necessary  to  make  up  for  the  lack 
of  insect  food,  it  should  be  fed  sparingly  and  not  too  often  to  the 
young  fowls,  for  too  much  animal  food  is  worse  than  none  at  all, 
and  is  one  of  the  principal  causes  of  all  the  disastrous  diseases 
which  are  hard  to  cure.     I  would  not  take  $20  for  this  secret. 

Meat  scraps  must  be  kept  in  a  cool  place. 

Of  the  commercial  meat  scraps  on  the  market,  those  guaran- 
teed to  be  pure  beef  scraps  are  best.  Dried  blood,  such  as  is  sold 
for  fertilizer,  is  dangerous  to  use  for  poultry. 

Some  feed  horse  meat.  I  would  not,  knowingly,  feed  horse 
meat  to  fowls.  The  meat  of  a  healthy  horse,  killed  on  account  of 
some  accident,  would  be  good,  but  the  bulk  of  horse  meat  comes 
from  horses  that  have  died  or  been  killed  on  account  of  ailment 
or  old  age.     The  secret  of  profitable  eggs  is  high  quality. 

Green  cut  bone,  when  it  can  be  had  fresh,  and  fed  as  soon  as 
cut,  is  excellent.  It  is  not  a  stimulant,  and  consequently  there  is 
no  unhealthful  reaction  from  its  use.  But  it  should  be  fed  judi- 
ciously, as  a  too  liberal  feeding  is  apt  to  produce  worms  in  fowls. 
An  ounce,  per  hen,  two  or  three  times  a  week,  is  sufficient.  In 
fact,  it  should  be  the  limit.  Feed  separately  in  a  trough,  and  not 
mixed  with  the  mash. 

Salt 

A  proper  amount  of  salt  aids  digestion.  It  has  a  tendency  to 
ward  off  disease  by  keeping  the  fowls  strong  and  vigorous.  But 
if  given  to  excess  will  produce  inflammation  of  the  mucous  mem- 
brane. An  excess,  too,  is  apt  to  cause  bowel  troubles  and  loss 
of  feathers. 

Salt  keeps  the  whole  system  in  good  working  order,  freeing 
the  blood  of  impurities,  thus  avoiding  colds,  canger,  or  roup.  Salt 
also  has  a  tendency  to  expel  those  miserable  wiry  gizzard-worms 
often  found  in  fowls. 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  an  ounce  of  salt  is  sufficient  for 
the  soft  food  of  one  hundred  fowls.     The  best  way  to  salt  the 


22  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

food  is  thoroughly  to  dissolve  sufficient  salt  in  the  hot  water  with 
which  the  mash  is  to  be  moistened.  This  will  more  evenly  dis- 
tribute it.     The  above  pointers  seem  trivial,  but  are  not. 


Proctor's  Salt  Secret 

Note  this  carefully:  During  several  seasons  when  F.  W. 
Proctor  mixed  salt  with  the  feed,  about  as  would  suit  the  human 
palate,  he  found  no  difficulty  in  maintaining  a  good  tgg  yield  until 
cold  weather.  Last  season  he  omitted  salt,  and  his  fowls  took  to 
molting  all  through  the  early  and  late  fall.  This  shows  the  value 
of  salt  as  a  means  of  prolonging  the  life  of  the  feather. 


Brackenbury's  Secret  of  Scalded  Oats 

A  remarkably  successful  system :  The  way  to  feed  scalded 
oats  is  to  season  each  feed  of  oats  with  salt  at  the  rate  of  a  good 
large  tablespoonful  to  each  eight  or  ten  quarts  of  the  oats. 
Sprinkle  the  salt  over  the  top  of  the  oats,  and  then  pour  boiling 
water  over  them,  being  careful  to  use  no  more  water  than  the  oats 
will  readily  absorb.  Stir  or  mix  them  up  well.  Let  the  pail  in 
which  the  oats  are  scalded  be  covered  while  they  remain  in  it. 


Charcoal,  Grit,  and  Oyster  Shells 

Charcoal  is  not  only  a  great  corrective  of  the  evils  of  injudi- 
cious overfeeding,  but  is  also  a  good  remedy  in  bowel  disorders 
of  poultry. 

As  it  has  wonderful  absorbent  powers,  especially  for  gases,  it 
should  be  kept  in  a  thoroughly  dry  vessel  with  a  close-fitting 
cover,  so  as  to  exclude  the  air. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  mix  powdered  charcoal  twice  a  week  in 
the  mash. 

If  charcoal  is  well  heated  before  given  to  the  poultry,  it  will 
have  a  tendency  to  drive  off  impurities  which  may  have  become 
absorbed,  and  will  be  equal  to  fresh  charcoal. 

Grit  must  be  hard  and  sharp.  Oyster  shells  are  too  soft  to 
serve  this  purpose.     Lack  of  this  secret  causes  many  failures. 

The  supply  of  grit  should  never  run  out.  It  is  best  kept  in  a 
small  box  constantly  within  reach  of  the  fowls  so  that  they  can 
help  themselves  at  will. 

The  hens  must  partake  of  a  certain  amount  of  lime  in  some 
form  other  than  that  found  in  the  different  articles  of  food.  This 
lime  is  needed  for  the  formation  of  qq:,^  shells,  and  where  there  is 
a  lack  of  it,  soft-shelled  eggs  are  the  result. 


SECRETS  OF  FEEDING.  2$ 

Green  Feed 

It  will  be  noticed  that  fowls,  if  given  some  cabbage  or  other 
winter  greens  the  first  thing  upon  opening  up  the  houses,  will 
pitch  into  the  stuff  to  the  exclusion  of  any  grain  that  might  be 
within  reach.  It  seems  to  act  as  a  sort  of  "  bracer,"  "  eye- 
opener  "  or  "  tonic." 

Cabbage,  raw  potatoes,  beets,  turnips,  and  other  roots 
chopped  up  about  the  size  of  whole  corn,  are  all  keenly  relished, 
and  do  a  lot  of  good. 

A  very  good  substitute  for  green  food  is  cooked  or  steamed 
cut  clover  hay  or  alfalfa.  This  can  be  mixed  with  an  equal  quan- 
tity of  ground  grain.  Laying  hens,  especially,  should  be  regu- 
larly fed  cut  hay  during  winter,  as  it  is  bulky  food  and  contains 
considerable  lime  and  other  ingredients  that  go  to  making  eggs. 

Boiled  vegetables  are  relished,  but  care  must  be  taken  that 
they  are  not  too  freely  fed,  as  they  have  a  tendency  to  overfatten, 
and  are  apt  to  cause  bowel  troubles. 


The  Secret  of  Feed  at  1 5  Cents  per  Bushel 

The  value  of  green  food  for  poultry,  both  as  an  egg  food 
and  a  ration  for  maintaining  a  healthful  condition,  has  been 
known  for  years,  but  of  late  a  method  for  producing  sprouted  oats 
feed  has  been  practised  by  a  few  knowing  poultrymen  who  have 
derived  considerable  profit  from  the  idea.  I  give  the  methods  of 
two  men,  Mr.  J.  B.  Upson  and  Mr.  Keyser.  This  is  the  "  15- 
cents-a-bushel-for-feed "  secret,  advertised  and  sold  at  a  high 
price  in  former  years.  For  cheap  green  winter  feed  the  plan  is 
invaluable. 

Mr.  Upson's  method:  The  oats  are  placed  in  a  water-tight 
vessel  and  covered  with  warm  water,  and  allowed  to  stand 
twenty-four  hours,  when  they  are  emptied  into  a  box  that  will  al- 
low the  water  to  drain  off  freely.  Oats  are  left  in  this  box,  and 
wetted  twice  a  day  with  warm  water  until  the  oats  have  sprouted 
a  quarter  of  an  inch  long,  when  they  are  spread  in  boxes  about 
an  inch  deep.  The  sprinkling  is  continued  until  the  oats  are  as 
large  as  desired,  which  is  generally  four  or  five  inches  in  length. 
The  hens  will  consume  roots  as  well  as  tops. 

With  a  temperature  of  60°,  ten  days  will  bring  this  result, 
so  that  after  the  first  start  this  green  feed  can  be  provided  for 
each  day.  Chicks  a  week  old  will  eat  the  oats,  and,  in  fact,  leave 
all  other  feed  for  them.  Fowls  prefer  sprouted  oats  to  lawn 
clippings. 


24  POULTRY    SECRETS. 

The  green  color  can  be  given  to  the  oats  by  one  day's  expo- 
sure to  the  light.  They  grow  as  freely  in  the  dark,  and  the  boxes 
can  be  stacked  over  one  another  if  short  of  room. 

L.  E.  Keyser's  method  is  as  follows :  Place  the  grain  to  be 
sprouted  in  a  tub  and  cover  with  water  (warm  water  is  best)  and 
allow  it  to  soak  for  twenty-four  hours.  Pour  off  the  water  and 
let  them  drain  for  half  a  day,  then  cover  the  racks  with  old 
sacking,  single  thickness,  and  spread  the  grain  upon  the  racks  to 
the  depth  of  about  two  inches.  If  space  is  limited,  the  racks  may 
be  piled  one  upon  another,  and  if  out-of-doors  a  cover  should  be 
made  for  them  that  will  turn  rain. 

Night  and  morning  the  racks  are  taken  down  and  the  grain 
sprinkled  with  hot  water,  the  hotter  the  better,  using  a  hand 
watering-pot.  The  racks  can  then  be  replaced.  It  does  not  mat- 
ter if  the  water  in  the  upper  racks  drains  down  into  those  beneath, 
as  it  will  all  run  off  in  time. 

When  in  proper  condition  for  feeding,  the  sod  will  be  three 
or  four  inches  thick,  and  the  growth  of  top  will  be  four  to  six 
inches  high.  When  feeding,  give  a  block  about  a  foot  square  to 
fifty  hens.  Each  rack  holds  about  a  bushel  and  a  half  of  grain 
before  sprouting,  and  will  make  sixteen  feeds  for  fifty  hens.  It 
will  answer  the  purpose  of  one  grain  feed  and  green  food. 

The  racks  referred  to  are  made  as  follows:  A  frame  of 
1x3  inch  stuff,  set  edgewise,  4x4  feet,  with  a  partition  in  the  cen- 
ter, is  first  made.  To  this  frame  securely  nail  lath,  placing  them 
from  one-eighth  to  one-quarter  inch  apart.  This  makes  a  box  4x4 
feet,  three  inches  deep,  with  a  slatted  bottom  and  a  partition  in  the 
middle.  The  center  partition  is  only  fqr  jthe  purpose  of  strength- 
ening the  lath.  The  lath  should  be  soaked  in  water  over  night, 
so  that  they  will  not  split  when  nailing. 


The  Sprouted  Barley  Secret 


A  Connecticut  poultry  raiser  has  had  surprising  success  with 
barley.  He  says :  To  get  green  poultry  feed  barley  is  the  best 
grain.  Cover  as  much  as  you  need  with  very  warm  water,  and 
let  it  remain  for  24  hours.  Then  draw  oflF  the  water,  empty- 
ing the  grain  into  a  shallow  box  having  holes  in  the  bottom.  Keep 
it  quite  moist  with  warm  water  and  turn  frequently  so  it  will 
sprout  evenly.  Set  in  a  sunny  or  warm  place,  covering  with 
sacks,  and  in  a  few  days  it  will  germinate  and  start  growing. 
Then  when  healthy,  green  sprouts  show,  use  as  feed.  Have  a 
number  of  feoxes  in  the  work  to  keep  a  supply. 


SECRETS  OF  FEEDING.  2$ 

Smith's  Secret  of  Preserving  Vej(etation  in 
Poultry  Runs 

A.  C.  S.nith,  a  successful  New  England  poultryman,  gives 
a  secret  of  preserving  vegetation  in  poultry  runs  which  he  has 
followed  since  1896.     Mr.  Smith  writes : 

The  idea  is  simple  and  consists  of  building  small  yards  for 
each  pen  in  the  house,  and  one  large  yard  for  every  two  or  three 
small  yards.  The  small  yards  are  directly  in  front  of  and  con- 
nected with  the  house,  and  the  larger  yards  directly  in  front  of 
and  connected  with  the  smaller  yards.  Nothing  could  be  sim- 
pler, and  simple  as  the  arrangement  is,  it  brings  with  it  greater 
benefits  than  may  appear  at  first  thought. 

To  preserve  the  sod  or  root  of  whatever  green  crop  is 
growing  in  these  enclosures,  several  little  wrinkles  may  be 
utilized.  If  the  season  is  dry  and  the  supply  nearly  exhausted, 
the  flocks  may  be  kept  in  the  small  enclosures  until  rain  comes  to 
refresh  vegetation,  or  the  fowls  may  be  let  out  only  part  of  each 
day,  taking  advantage  of  the  fact  that  the  nature  of  a  hen 
prompts  her  to  dig  and  scratch  early  and  graze  later  in  the  day. 
Consequently,  the  sods  and  roots  would  be  best  preserved  by  let- 
ting the  fowls  have  the  run  during  the  later  part  of  the  day. 

As  to  expense,  it  is  most  obvious  that  where  two  fences 
take  the  place  of  three  there  is  a  saving  of  one-third  involved,  or 
where  two  take  the  place  of  four,  which  is  the  case  if  one  large 
yard  is  built  to  every  three  small  ones,  the  saving  becomes  50 
per  cent. 

The  long  poultry  house,  as  usually  built,  is  divided  into 
small  pens  not  more  than  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  wide  at  the  most, 
and  generally  only  ten.  The  usual  practice  is  to  build  a  yard  to 
every  pen  in  the  house,  which,  of  course,  makes  the  yards  just 
the  width  of  the  pen,  which  in  such  case  is  too  narrow  to  allow 
fruit  trees  to  do  their  best.  With  yards  twenty  or  thirty  feet 
wide,  ample  space  is  offered  for  plum,  pear  or  peach  trees,  and 
the  fences  will  not  interfere  with  proper  growth,  neither  are  the 
fowls  liable  to  fly  from  one  yard  to  another  by  aid  of  the  branches 
even  with  fences  of  the  ordinary  height  of  six  to  six  and  one-half 
feet. 

An  Important  Feeding  Secret 

The  writer  has  a  double  run  to  each  house,  as  shown  in  the 
illustration.  While  the  fowls  are  occupying  the  one  run,  in 
spring  and  summer,  the  vacant  run  is  planted  to  some  vegetable 


26 


POULTRY   SECRETS. 


BACKYARD 

BACKYARD 

BACKYARD 

.TOP[NNO.I 

TOP£NNO.E 

T0PENN0.3 

S 

O 

"pen  NO.I 

PEN  NO  2 

PENN0.3" 

s 

O 

o 

S 

FRONT  YARD 

FRONT  YARD 

FRONT  YARD 

TOPtNNO.I 

TOPCN  m.i 

T0P[NN0.5 

16  FT. 

16  FT. 

15  FT. 

crop.  As  soon  as  this  crop  is  gathered,  the  fowls  are  turned  into 
the  plot  and  they  find  considerable  green  stuff  as  well  as  worms 
and  insects.  The  former  lot  is  then  planted 
to  rye,  and  by  fall  and  even  during  early  win- 
ter and  spring,  a  quantity  of  green  food  is  se- 
cured by  each  day  mowing  down  sufficient  for 
that  day's  feeding. 

Rape  is  another  valuable  green  food,  and 
should  be  planted  each  year. 

Miscellaneous  Feed  Pointers 

The  laying  hen  is  a  hard  drinker.  She 
will  consume  about  a  half-pint  of  water  a  day, 
and  it  must  never  be  left  out  of  the  bill  of  fare. 
It  is  the  rule  on  the  farm  of  the  writer  to 
water  the  fowls  about  a  half-hour  after  feed- 
ing the  morning  mash.  They  will  not  suffer 
by  being  compelled  to  wait  for  the  water  in 
the  early  morning,  and  they  are  not  so  apt  to 
chill  when  they  have  first  taken  food  in  the 
crop.  To  learn  to  water  your  hens  properly  is 
worth  ten  times  the  cost  of  this  booklet, 

A  pound  of  cornmeal  will  measure  about 
one  and  one-half  pints;  middlings,  one  quart; 
ground  oats,  two  and  one-half  pints ;  wheat 
bran,  three  pints ;  clover  meal,  two  quarts. 
"  Shorts,"  according  to  Webster,  is  the  bran  and  coarse  part 
of  meal,  in  mixture.  In  some  sections  of  this  country  bran  is 
known  as  "  shorts,"  and  in  other  places  middlings  bear  that  term. 
Brewers'  grains  contain  about  four  pounds  ash  (lime,  etc.), 
five  pounds  fat,  twenty-five  pounds  protein  (flesh  and  albumen 
formers),  and  about  fifty  pounds  of  starchy  matter  in  one  hundred 
pounds — the  balance  being  water. 

In  this  country,  poultrymen  generally  claim  that  there  is  no 
saving  in  boiling  the  food,  notwithstanding  the  increase  in  bulk, 
as  they  say  that  there  seems  to  be  a  corresponding  lessening  of  its 
sufficing  properties ;  and  that  seven  pints  of  boiled  oats  will  be 
consumed  in  the  same  time  and  by  the  same  number  of  fowls  as 
four  pints  of  the  dry  grain.  But  still  I  have  found  that  there  is 
economy  in  feeding  the  boiled  grain  in  fattening,  as  it  has  been 
proved  beyond  a  doubt  that  the  fowls  will  fatten  more  readily 
with  the  latter. 

The  bones  of  the  neck,  and  along  the  back  are  the  easiest  to 
cut  in  a  bone  cutter.  The  bone  itself  is  full  of  animal  matter, 
as  well  as  lime  and  phosphates,  for  the  making  of  greater  bone 
in  the  chick,  and  adding  to  the  feather  growth,  and  for  the  making 
of  the  tgg  shell.     The  gristle,  the  scraps  of  meat  adhering  to  the 


Double  Yard  to 
Each  Breeding  Pen 

While  the  one  yard  is  occu- 
pied the  other  is  sown 
to  a  green  crop. 


SECRETS  OF  FEEDING. 


27 


bone,  with  the  blood,  make  a  kind  of  "  worst  meat "  mass,  of 
which  the  chickens  will  eat  every  bit.  The  small  bits  of  bone 
through  the  mass  make  the  ideal  grit  supply  also. 

The  crate-fed  bird  has  a  better  appearance  than  a  pen-fed 
one,  and  is  not  a  flabby  fat,  but  has  nice  solid  flesh. 

Soft  roasters  fed  in  houses  show  more  average  gain  than 
when  fed  in  crates.  Forty  birds  may  be  put  in  a  house  7x20  feet, 
with  a  yard  10x15  feet. 

In  crate  feedmg,  if  a  bird  will  not  accumulate  fat  during  the 
first  ten  days  it  is  shut  up  in  the  crate,  it  is  very  much  wiser  to 
take  it  out.  When  you  put  them  in  the  crate  you  should  starve 
them  for  the  first  day  or  so. 

Some  birds  can  be  put  in  a  crate  for  two  weeks,  and  fed  three 
times  a  day,  and  money  will  be  lost  on  them.  On  the  other  hand, 
some  birds  can  be  fed  in  that  way  for  five  weeks  and  still  make  a 
profit.  Some  birds  are  ready  in  ten  days  and  others  after  being 
fed  for  two  weeks  will  commence  to  go  back  in  weight. 


Chick  Feed  Secrets 


Here  is  a  secret  that  will  surely  help  you :  The  cost  of  food, 
per  chick,  to  weigh  one  pound,  is  three  cents  for  ground  grain; 
or   three     and     seven- 


tenths  on  whole  grain. 
An      easily      pre- 
pared chick  food :  Six  ^ 
pounds  cracked  wheat ;  & 
two       pounds       finely 
cracked      corn ;        one 
pound   rolled    oats,   or 
pin-head  oatmeal ;   one 
pound      millet       seed ; 
half  -  pound 
rice ;  two   pounds    fine 
granulated  beef  scrap ; 


Protected  Chick  Runs 

broken    Measure :  2  feet  wide  and  2  feet  high,  12  to  16  feet  in  length, 
covered  with  one-inch  wire  netting.     Should  be  moved 
to  new  ground  every  two  weeks.     Used  by  hen 
and  her  brood. 


half-pound  granulated  bone ;  six  pounds  pearl  grit.  This  is  the 
same  as  expensive  prepared  chick  foods  which  cost  twice  as  much. 
Robert  J.  Terry's  secret  formula :  For  chick  food,  to  be  given 
after  the  young  are  a  day  or  two  old  (before  that  time  dried  bread 
crumbs  should  be  given):  Cracked  wheat,  twenty-five  parts; 
hulled  or  cut  oats,  fifteen  parts ;  white  millet  seed,  twelve  parts ; 
small  cracked  corn,  ten  parts ;  small  cracked  peas,  six  parts ; 
broken  rice,  two  parts ;  rape  seed,  one  part ;  small  grit,  ten  parts. 
Rolled  oats  can  be  used  in  place  of  hulled  oats.  The  food  is  fed 
dry  and  brings  good  results. 


aS  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

Seely*s  Secret  of  Dry  Bran  Feeding 

James  H.  Seely,  one  of  the  pioneer  broiler  raisers  of  Ham- 
monton,  N.  J.,  and  late  poultry  manager  on  the  farm  of  ex- Vice- 
President  Levi  P.  Morton,  here  gives  a  secret  that  he  has  prac- 
ticed and  kept  sacred  for  years.  The  way  he  discovered  it  was  as 
follows : 

I  had  a  lot  of  broilers  in  the  brooder  house,  hatched  during 
the  months  of  December,  January  and  early  February,  from 
which  I  selected  105  pullets,  which  I  decided  to  keep  for  winter 
eggs.  Being  forced  for  broilers,  they,  of  course,  became  rather 
fat,  but,  nevertheless,  in  July  some  of  them  began  laying.  The 
eggs  being  very  small,  they  were  of  no  particular  use  to  us,  so  I 
shut  off  their  regular  feed,  and  instead  filled  the  trough  with 
dry  bran,  keeping  it  before  them  all  the  time,  for  about  six  weeks. 

Then  I  commenced  feeding  for  eggs  and  soon  got  them, 
90  per  cent,  being  strong,  large  eggs,  showing  good  fertility.  The 
pullets  kept  up  this  laying  for  the  rest  of  the  season. 

I  also  discovered  that  this  same  method  worked  well  with 
old  hens  for  winter  eggs.  In  that  case  I  shut  off  the  feed  for  a 
month  (substituting  dry  bran),  when  the  eggs  were  cheap.  This 
threw  them  into  an  early  molt,  and  again  started  to  lay  at  a  time 
when  eggs  were  scarce  and  the  price  necessarily  high. 

Gowell's  Fattening  Secret 

If  chickens  intended  for  market,  weighing  one  and  a  quarter 
to  one  and  a  half  pounds,  are  placed  by  themselves  in  a  house  with 
a  yard  say  twelve  feet  square,  and  fed  on  a  porridge  three  times 
a  day,  they  can  be  gotten  ready  for  market  in  very  short  order. 

The  porridge  is  made  of  six  parts  cornmeal,  two  parts  mid- 
dlings, one-half  part  linseed  meal  and  two  parts  beef  scraps,  by 
weight,  and  mixed  with  milk  or  tepid  water. 

Feed  all  they  will  eat  in  one-half  hour,  when  the  troughs 
must  be  removed  and  cleaned.  Keep  the  yard  clean  by  covering 
with  sand,  straw  or  hay.  The  birds  will  stand  this  feeding  for 
two  or  three  weeks  with  good  appetites.  When  they  commence 
taking  less  they  are  ready  to  be  dressed  for  market,  and  should 
weigh  two  and  a  quarter  pounds  dressed.  ( Note :  I  have  used 
Prof.  Gowell's  secret  method  with  great  success.) 

Gray's  Secret  for  Quickly  Fattening 

Ivan  B.  Gray,  a  successful  raiser  of  broilers  and  roasters 
for  market,  uses  the  following  secret  in  fattening  his  stock,  and 
says  that  at  no  time  of  the  year  has  he  any  trouble  to  dispose  of 
his  broilers,  roasters,  or  even  old  hens,  and  always  at  several 
cents  per  pound  advanced  price  over  the  market  rate. 


SECRETS  OF  FEEDING.  29 

The  secret  is  to  feed  molasses  to  the  stock  being  fattened. 
He  uses  the  common  stock  molasses,  which  can  be  purchased 
very  cheaply  in  any  of  the  large  cities. 

He  dilutes  one  quart  of  molasses  in  six  quarts  of  water 
(sometimes  using  more  and  sometimes  less  molasses,  according 
to  the  condition  of  the  bowels). 

With  this  molasses  and  water  mixture  he  uses  enough  to 
make  the  following  mash  crumbly :  One  hundred  pounds  yellow 
cornmeal,  50  pounds  wheat  middlings,  15  pounds  oil  meal,  and 
25  pounds  beef  scraps.  (Note,  the  Gowell  mixture,  given  above, 
can  be  used  with  the  molasses  and  water  solution.) 

Confine  the  fowls  in  a  pen  or  small  yard,  and  feed  all  they 
will  eat  up  clean,  removing  the  troughs  as  soon  as  the  fowls  are 
through  eating.  Should  the  bowels  become  loose,  he  simply  adds 
a  handful  or  two  of  middlings  to  the  mash,  and  if  this  does  not 
correct  the  trouble,  he  withholds  the  molasses  for  a  day  or  so. 

The  above  plumps  the  fowls  very  quickly  and  adds  weight, 
while  the  molasses  also  gives  the  carcass  a  very  sweet  and  juicy 
flavor. 

Greiner*s  Corn  Feeding  Secrets 

T.  Greiner,  of  New  York  State,  an  experienced  and  success- 
ful poultryman,  has  demonstrated  the  following  facts  in  regard 
to  feeding  corn : 

Corn,  of  all  cereals,  is  just  the  one  for  which  all  fowldom 
seems  to  have  a  very  marked  preference,  just  as  children  have  a 
preference  for  candies  and  rich  cakes. 

Hens  will  fill  their  crops  to  the  very  limit  of  capacity  with 
com,  in  less  time  and  with  less  eltort  than  they  could  with  any 
other  cereal. 

The  exclusive  or  excessive  use  of  com,  while  permissible  and 
useful  just  once  in  a  fowl's  life  (shortly  before  it  is  sent  to  the 
block),  will  lead  to  all  sorts  of  evils  in  a  flock  of  layers,  and  will 
cripple  the  prospects  for  a  big  egg-yield.  In  the  hands  of  the 
careful  feeder  of  poultry,  it  is  a  good,  useful  and  almost  indis- 
pensable cereal,  and  a  great  aid  to  success,  especially  during  the 
colder  portions  of  the  year. 

Some  of  the  best  ways  of  preparing  and  feeding  com  to 
poultry  seem  to  be  little  known  to  the  general  poultry  keeper,  and 
so  are  little  practiced. 

The  process  of  cracking  does  not  add  anything  to  the  food 
value  of  whole  com,  but  gives  a  chance  for  a  loss  of  some  of  the 
smaller  particles,  besides  adding  the  expense  of  cracking  to  the 
cost  of  the  product.  The  tremendous  digestive  powers  of  the 
larger  birds  will  take  care  of  whole  corn  nearly  as  readily  as  of 
cracked  com.     The  secret  of  the  advantage  of  cracked  com  is 


30  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

mainly  the  greater  demand  for  effort  and  exercise  on  the  part  of 
the  hen  which  hunts  for  it  among  the  Utter  of  the  scratching  shed. 

But  there  are  even  better  ways  of  feeding  com  than  giving  it 
in  cracked  form :  The  secret  is  in  feeding  it  on  the  cob.  Let  the 
com  get  some  age,,  rather  than  feed  it  new.  It  is  safer.  But 
even  new  corn  can  be  made  safe  for  feeding  if  you  know  this 
secret :  Place  the  ears  in  a  hot  oven,  and  let  them  get  hot,  brown, 
perhaps  even  scorched  and  charred.  Then  take  them  out  and 
feed  them  while  still  warm,  on  a  clean  floor,  for  an  evening  meal. 
The  hens  will  work  with  the  ears,  pick  at  them,  and  soon  get  the 
corn  off  the  cob — with  effort  enough  to  afford  proper  exercise. 
The  scorched  and  charred  portions  of  corn  take  the  place  of  char- 
coal, and  promote  the  hens'  general  health.  In  mild  weather, 
with  good  sound  com,  this  heating  will  not  be  required. 

Another  secret:  Run  the  ears  through  an  ordinary  feed  cut- 
ter, cutting  them  in  about  two-inch  lengths.  The  passage  and 
pressure  between  the  two  iron  rollers  loosens  the  kernels  suffi- 
ciently so  that  the  hens  can  more  surely  pick  off  every  single  one. 
If  you  will  watch  a  flock  of  hens,  toward  evening,  busily  engaged 
and  hugely  enjoying  themselves  with  a  quantity  of  corn  on  the 
cob  thus  cut,  you  will  at  once  believe  that  you  have  discovered  a 
secret  worth  knowing. 

McGrew's  Secret  of  Feeding  During  Molting 

T.  F.  McGrew,  one  of  the  leading  authorities  on  poultry  cul- 
ture, sends  this  secret : 

If  properly  handled  and  fed  on  a  feather-forming  ration, 
poultry  will  molt  much  more  satisfactorily  than  they  do  when 
fed  in  the  ordinary  way.  The  following  mixture  is  for  mash 
food.     The  receipt  is  sufficient  for  loo  hens : 

Put  3  pounds  of  short  cut  clover  or  alfalfa  hay  in  a  bucket 
and  cover  it  with  scalding  hot  water.  Let  it  stand  for  at  least 
2  hours,  and  stir  into  t)iis  the  following  mixture, 

2  pounds  wheat  bran, 

I  pound  wheat  middlings, 

I  pound  cornmcal, 

I  pound  ground  oats, 

I  pound  beef  scrap, 

I  pound  linseed  meal. 

Mix  all  into  a  crumbling  mass  and  feed  while  warm  (not 
hot)  to  the  hens. 

When  the  molt  is  under  way,  add  i  ounce  of  linseed  meal 
each  day  until  you  are  feeding  2  pounds  of  it  or  20  per  cent,  of 
the  mash.  Feed  this  until  the  molt  is  almost  finished ;  then  reduce 
to  the  original  amount  of  linseed  meal.  The  original  mixture  is 
an  almost  perfect  egg-producing  ration  and  can  be  fed  either  as 
a  dry  or  wet  mash. 


Secrets  of  Housing'  and  Care 


A  poultry  plant  should  be  planned  with  a  view  to  saving 
steps.  This  extra  labor  costs  money,  for  which  there  is  no  equiva- 
lent. Besides,  houses  built  on  the  colony  plan  are  far  more  expen- 
sive than  if  in  one  continuous  line.  By  bringing  them  together, 
one  end  of  each  house  is  saved.  This  will  mean  quite  an  item  in 
lumber.  The  colony  houses,  too,  are  much  colder  than  a  continu- 
ous house. 

High  ceilings  in  houses  are  expensive,  and  cold.  They 
should  be  built  as  low  as  possible  without  danger  of  bumping 
heads.  Low  houses  are  kept  comfortable  by  the  animal  heat 
thrown  ofF  by  the  fowls. 


Colony  Chick  Coops 

Measure  4x4  feet,  ground  floor,  and  4  feet  high  to  peak  of  roof.     Yards  125  running  feet.  Large 
enough  to  start  50  chicks,  decreasing  number  of  chicks  as  they  mature- 


The  working  unit  in  building  a  hen  house  is  the  floor  and  air 
space  required  for  each  pen.  Prof.  Rice  has  discovered  that  a 
safe  working  rule  is  about  five  to  six  square  feet  of  floor  space 
for  every  fowl.  The  lighter  breeds,  because  they  are  more  active 
and  restless,  require  about  as  much  room  and  air  as  larger  breeds. 

There  is  a  great  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  best  method 
of  calculating  the  number  of  fowls  a  poultry  house  will  accommo- 
date. The  common  method  of  calculation  is  based  upon  floor 
space,  the  height  being  considered  immaterial.     Houses  built  on 


32  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

this  principle  are  low,  and  consequently  the  least  expensive  that 
can  be  constructed.  Another  method  of  calculation  is  based  upon 
the  amount  of  perch  room,  while  the  third  is  based  upon  the  vol- 
ume of  cubic  contents.  The  right  method  is  to  allow  at  least  ten 
cubic  feet  of  space  per  fozvl. 

In  view  of  the  widely  divergent  views  on  this  subject,  and  the 
lack  of  definite  knowledge,  K.  J.  J.  Mackenzie  and  C.  S.  Orwin, 
of  the  Southeastern  Agricultural  College  of  England,  undertook  a 
series  of  experiments  to  determine  more  definitely  the  amount  of 
air  space  required  by  poultry.  They  studied  the  frequency  and 
rate  of  respiration  in  fowls,  the  amount  of  carbon  dioxid  thrown 
off,  the  amount  of  vitiation  of  the  air  which  the  fowls  could  stand 
without  injury,  and  examined  different  types  of  poultry  houses 
with  reference  to  their  suitability  for  furnishing  proper  conditions 
of  ventilation. 

Assuming  that  the  air  of  poultry  houses  should  not  contain 
more  than  nine  parts  of  carbon  dioxid  per  10,000  of  air,  they  esti- 
mated that  each  fowl  must  be  supplied  with  about  forty  cubic 
feet  of  air  per  hour,  the  requirements  of  small  fowls  being  practi- 
cally the  same  as  of  large. 

In  wooden  poultry  houses  with  ventilation  at  the  top  the  air 
apparently  changes  about  four  times  per  hour.  Each  bird  must, 
therefore,  have  ten  or  more  cubic  feet  allotted  to  it.     Now  then : 

The  number  of  birds  a  house  will  hold  depends  on  its  volume 
and  not  on  the  floor  space  or  perch  room.  The  maximum  number 
is  found  by  dividing  the  volume  expressed  as  cubic  feet  by  ten.  I 
have  learned  to  keep  within  this  number. 

The  greatest  capacity  can  be  most  economically  obtained  from 
a  given  amount  of  timber  if  the  house  is  cubical  in  shape.  This 
cannot  be  quite  realized  in  practise  owing  to  the  necessity  for  a 
sloping  roof,  but  the  nearer  one  gets  to  it  the  better. 

In  building  long,  continuous  houses,  the  pens  should  be 
divided  by  tight  partitions,  either  cloth  or  boards  (the  latter  pre- 
ferred), to  avoid  draughts.  Otherwise  cold  and  dangerous  air 
currents  will  be  formed  whenever  windows,  doors  or  ventilators 
are  open. 

Prof.  Rice  says  that  when  air  is  warmed  it  expands  and  rises ; 
cooling  has  the  opposite  effect.  He  further  says:  Provide  the 
houses  with  good  ventilation.  Pure  air  is  as  necessary  to  good 
egg  production  as  pure  food  and  pure  water.  Damp  air  may  be 
removed  by  ventilators,  which  will  necessarily  make  the  house  a 
little  cooler.     Warm  air  rises. 

But  here's  my  secret :  S cratching-shed  houses  do  not  need 
ventilators.  They  are  self-acting  in  that  respect.  If  the  curtains 
are  drawn  up  each  morning,  the  fresh  air  will  quickly  enter,  and 
the  pens  will  receive  the  very  best  airing.  On  the  farm  of  the 
writer,  no  ventilators  are  placed  on  the  houses,  but  the  scratching- 
«hed  plan  is  used.    The  result  is  that  the  houses  never  have  a  foul 


SECRETS   OF    HOUSING   AND   CARE.  33 

odor,  and  the  fowls  get  the  benefit  of  the  outside  air  without  be- 
ing compelled  to  face  rain  or  snowstorms,  or  heavy  winds. 

On  this  point  Jacobs  some  years  ago  made  a  very  useful 
discovery.  He  found  that  it  is  a  very  difficult  matter  to  ventilate  a 
poultry  house  without  causing  draughts  of  air  on  the  fowls  at 
night.  The  proper  mode,  he  learned,  is  to  keep  the  poultry  house 
clean,  leave  the  doors  open  during  the  day,  and  shut  the  house  at 
night,  allowing  no  ventilation  at  all.  That  was  discovered  before 
the  present  scratching-shed  plan  was  adopted.  By  the  latter 
method,  we  can  better  air  our  houses  than  we  could  with  the  old- 
style  houses,  and  by  simply  leaving  the  door  open  during  the  day 
time.    The  scratching  shed  plan  cannot  be  overestimated. 

The  roof  is  practically  the  most  expensive  part  of  a  house.  It 
is  important  that  the  best  attention  be  paid  to  it.  Some  poultry- 
men  prefer  shingles,  and  some  heavy  roofing-paper.  There  are 
advantages  and  disadvantages  in  both.  Frost  will  gather  on  the 
shingle  roof,  inside  the  house,  unless  the  roof  is  ceiled.  This 
makes  an  additional  cost.  Shingles,  too,  are  apt  to  warp  in  time, 
causing  leaks  in  the  roof.  But  a  shingle  roof,  well  put  on, — 
using  No.  3  eighteen-inch  cedar  shingles,  and  giving  the  roof  a 
coat  of  paint,  will  be  better.  One  gallon  of  paint  will  cover  250 
square  feet  of  shingle  roofing.  Some  of  the  earlier  roofing  papers 
did  very  well  until  there  was  a  break  in  the  paper,  and  then  the 
first  good,  strong  windstorm  would  quickly  tear  it  all  oflf.  But 
to-day  we  have  roofing  that  is  strong  and  durable,  looking  very 
much  like  tar  roofing,  but  which  contains  no  tar.  Tar  roofing 
contracts  and  expands  zvith  the  weather,  but  this  new  roofing  does 
not.  The  roofing  is  put  on  with  tin  caps,  and  then  the  seams  are 
cemented,  and  the  entire  roof  coated  with  a  graphite  paint.  The 
writer  has  such  roofs  on  his  hen  houses,  and  has  had  them  for 
quite  a  number  of  years.  They  are  as  good  to-day  as  the  day  they 
were  put  on.  This  hint  saves  money,  and  yet  few  builders  know  it. 

There  seems  to  be  quite  a  difference  in  opinions  regarding 
the  proper  flooring  for  poultry  houses.  Some  writers  claim  that 
board  floors,  heavily  covered  with  sand,  are  the  best,  arguing  the 
point  that  they  are  more  dry.  Others  prefer  concrete  cement,  for 
the  reason  that  it  is  rat-proof  and  easily  cleaned.  My  secret  is 
to  use  nothing  but  the  natural  earth.  If  there  is  a  brick  founda- 
tion around  the  hen  house,  and  the  floor  is  filled  up  a  foot  with 
earth,  making  it  that  much  higher  than  the  level  of  the  out- 
side ground,  the  floor  will  not  only  be  dry  and  rat-proof,  but  the 
hens  will  find  more  comfort  in  it,  and  will  not  only  have  something 
to  scratch  in  but  will  be  able  to  wallow  in  it,  taking  a  needed  dust 
bath. 

The  perches  in  the  houses  should  be  not  over  two  feet  from 
the  ground  floor,  and  about  six  inches  under  these  perches  there 
should  be  placed  a  solid  board  platform  to  catch  the  droppings. 
All  perches  should  be  on  a  level.     The  best  perch  is  a  2x^  inch 


34  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

scantling,  planed  and  the  edges  rounded.  It  should  be  placed  so 
that  the  fowls  will  roost  on  the  two-inch  side.  These  broad  roosts 
give  a  fowl  the  chance  to  spread  its  feet,  so  that  it  will  not  be 
compelled  to  cramp  them  to  hold  itself,  as  is  the  case  with  the  old- 
style  round  perches. 

Take  my  advice,  and  see  that  all  nests  are  made  movable. 
This  is  so  even  where  trap  nests  are  used.  This  gives  a  good 
chance  to  take  them  outdoors  and  give  a  good  cleaning, 
which  should  be  done  at  least  every  spring  and  fall.  The  best  way 
to  place  nests  is  to  have  a  board  platform  upon  which  to  set 
them.  This  platform  should  be  about  two  feet  from  the  floor, 
and  broad  enough  so  that  there  would  be  from  eight  to  ten  inches 
on  the  platform,  in  front  of  the  nests,  for  the  hens  to  walk. 
Never  nail  up  nests  so  that  the  hens  must  Hy  on  them.  Trap 
nests  should  never  be  placed  on  the  floor,  as  the  hens  are  apt  to 
scratch  dirt  in  them,  often  clogging  them  so  they  will  not  work 
accurately.  Hens  prefer  semi-darkened  nests  to  those  out  in  the 
open  light. 

In  heavy-soil  countries  dust-boxes  should  be  placed  in  each 
pen,  so  that  the  fowls  can  wallow  in  the  dirt.  In  light-soil  sec- 
tions, and  especially  when  the  houses  have  scratching  sheds 
attached  to  them,  no  dust-boxes  need  be  provided,  as  the  fowls 
can  dust  themselves  with  the  loose  dirt  on  the  floor  of  the  shed. 

Fencing  is  another  important  matter  to  consider.  After  try- 
ing all  or  nearly  all  of  the  styles  of  wire-netting  fencing,  I  have 
gone  back  to  the  old  Climax  mesh,  which  has  proved  to  be  a 
money  saver  and  much  more  durable.  As  it  is  galvanized  after 
being  woven,  it  seldom  ever  rusts.  Some  of  the  new  styles  are 
galvanized  before  weaving,  and  the  result  is  that  they  sooner  or 
later  rust  and  break.  I  have  in  use  Climax  wire  netting  that  has 
now  stood  the  test  for  nearly  fifteen  years,  and  practically  is  as 
good  as  the  day  it  was  first  put  up.  The  Climax  wire  netting  can 
be  purchased  from  any  dealer  in  poultry  supplies. 

In  putting  up  fencing,  no  top  rail  should  be  used.  By  having 
the  posts  eight  feet  apart,  the  wire  can  be  stretched  by  hand,  and 
if  carefully  done  will  not  sag. 

Secret  of  Successful  Yarding 

I  have  found  that  for  best  results  in  &gg  production  yarding 
is  better  than  free  range.  I  have  discovered  that  for  tenderness 
of  flesh  in  market  chickens,  yarding  is  preferable.  On  the  other 
hand,  I  have  proved  that  for  quick  growth  of  young  stock,  free 
range  is  the  thing. 

All  poultry  runs  should  be  at  least  one  hundred  feet  in  length 
— and  this  divided  into  two  separate  runs.  That  is,  have  a  run  of 
fifty  feet  in  front  of  the  house,  and  fifty  feet  on  the  back.  Then 
as  the  fowls  are  occupying  the  one,  the  other  can  be  sown  to  some 


SECRETS  OF  HOUSING  AND  CARE.  35 

green  crop  and  thus  disinfected.     In  this  way  the  soil  will  always 
be  pure.     This  secret  alone  is  worth  many  dollars. 

An  argument  in  favor  of  free  range  is  that  the  fowls  get 
much  needed  exercise.  So  they  do,  but  just  as  much  exercise  can 
be  given  them  where  scratching  sheds  are  provided,  and  where 
the  grain  is  thrown  among  litter  so  they  must  work  for  it. 

In  market  chickens,  too  much  exercise  toughens  the  sinews, 
and  the  flesh  of  a  yearling  bird  is  tougher  than  that  of  a  two-year- 
old  fowl  yarded.  This  is  especially  so  where  corn  has  been  the 
principal  diet. 

On  the  farm  of  the  writer,  a  specialty  is  made  of  supplying 
spring  roasters  to  a  select  retail  trade.  The  reputation  of  the 
farm  for  choice,  juicy  carcasses  is  so  well  established  that  even  at 
an  advanced  price  the  orders  cannot  be  regularly  served,  they  be- 
ing compelled  to  go  in  rotation.  The  roasters  are  caged  and  fed 
a  balanced  ration,  are  never  hog  fat,  but  always  in  a  good  condi- 
tion. The  result  is,  the  meat  is  sweet  and  tender,  and  as  only  the 
purest  of  food  is  given,  the  flesh  is  never  tainted  with  some  pecu- 
liar taste,  nor  does  it  have  that  strange  odor  so  often  noticed  in 
poultry  direct  from  the  farmer. 

But  when  it  comes  to  raising  young  stock,  especially  when 
growing  them  for  future  breeders  or  roasters,  free  range  gives 
them  quick  maturity,  and  they  are  all  the  more  hardy  for  the 
rough  and  tumble  life  they  are  having. 

In  the  case  of  broiler  raising,  however,  range  must  not  be 
given,  or  the  carcass  grows  too  lanky. 

But  yarded  poultry  must  he  well  taken  care  of.  They  must 
be  regularly  fed,  must  be  made  to  exercise,  the  houses  must  be 
kept  clean,  and  everything  possible  must  be  done  for  their  com- 
fort. 

Neglected  poultry,  especially  if  yarded,  will  soon  be  a  finan- 
cial loss. 

Secret  of  Telling  the  Laying  Hen 

Before  the  advent  of  the  trap  nest,  quite  a  number  of  ideas 
vvere  advanced  concerning  the  general  make-up  of  the  laying 
hen,  but  none  has  been  so  accurate  as  that  furnished  by  the  trap 
nest.  The  hen  is  caught  in  the  act,  and  is  known  by  the  number 
of  the  band  on  her  leg.  The  number  is  placed  on  the  Qgg,  and  at 
night  credit  is  given  on  a  record  sheet  kept  for  that  purpose.  This 
method  takes  time  and  attention,  but  is  absolutely  accurate  and 
conclusive. 

There  is  another  secret  method  for  telling  the  laying  hen,  and 
that  is  by  the  condition  of  the  pelvic  bones.  Just  as  the  size  of  the 
udder  of  a  cow  is  a  good  indication  of  its  milk  qualities,  so  is  the 
condition  of  the  pelvic  bones  a  good  sign  of  the  egg-laying  quali- 
ties of  the  hen. 


36  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

The  pelvic  bones  are  located  at  the  lower  part  of  the  abdomen 
— in  the  rear  of  the  fowl — between  which  the  egg  passes  when  it 
is  being  laid. 

If  the  tip  of  the  fore-finger  fits  snugly  between  these  bones, 
the  hen  is  a  poor  layer.  If  it  requires  the  tips  of  the  first  and 
second  finger  snugly  to  fill  the  space  between  these  bones,  it  is  a 
good  layer ;  and  if  the  tips  of  the  first  three  fingers  are  needed  to 
fill  this  space,  the  hen  is  an  excellent  layer. 

A  pullet  that  has  not  laid,  or  has  just  begun  laying,  will  have 
these  bones  of  the  pelvis  almost  touching.  The  bones  gradually 
widen  as  the  fowl  continues  laying,  and  at  two  years  of  age  are 
much  farther  apart  than  at  one  year  old. 

This  method  of  determining  the  laying  hens  in  a  flock  and  the 
cocks  apt  to  produce  egg  laying  strains  is  the  central  thought  of 
the  well  known  and  widely  advertised  Walter  Hogan  System  of 
Fergus  Falls,  Minn.,  Palmer's  Method  of  Selection,  sold  by  C.  H. 
Palmer,  Alfred,  N.  Y.,  and  others.  Each  of  these  concerns 
claims  to  be  the  originator  of  this  method,  but  it  is  probable  that 
the  same  observation  of  the  significance  of  the  position  of  the  pel- 
vic bones  has  been  made  independently  by  many  poultrymen  as 
long  as  poultry  have  been  kept. 

Two  other  methods  of  determining  the  best  layers  are  given 
on  page  46. 


Secret  of  200  Eggs  per  Hen  per  Year 

Persistent  trap-nesting  will  produce  a  200-egg  flock;  nothing 
else  will,  in  my  ozvn  personal  opinion. 

Trap  nests  not  only  tell  us  which  are  our  best  layers,  but  we 
also  learn  the  size  and  color  of  the  eggs  laid,  and  which  hens  lay 
eggs  that  are  strong  in  fertility. 

The  trap  nest  will  pick  out  the  layers  of  the  largest  eggs,  en- 
abling the  breeder  gradually  to  get  his  whole  flock  to  produce 
eggs  of  the  same  size.  When  I  began  my  experiments  with  traps, 
I  found  that  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  my  hens  were  laying  either  a 
white  or  a  light-colored  egg;  to-day  ninety-nine  per  cent,  lay 
brown  eggs. 

Lawny's  Secret  of  Insect  Killers 

RoUa  Lawny  gives  us  two  valuable  secrets — one  for  an  insect 
powder,  and  the  other  for  a  lice  paint — just  the  same  as  are 
offered  for  sale  by  some  dealers. 

For  Insect  Powder,  he  says:  Take  one  pint  crude  carbolic 
acid  and  three  pints  gasoline.  Mix  in  agate  pan  or  earthen  crock, 
and  add  plaster  paris  by  sprinkling  in  and  thoroughly  stirring  so 
that  every  particle  of  plaster  paris  will  be  wet,  until  the  liquid  has 


SECRETS  OF  HOUSING  AND  CARE.  37 

all  been  absorbed  by  the  plaster  paris.  Spread  on  heavy  paper 
in  a  room  for  excess  gasoline  to  evaporate.  Then  run  through 
a  sieve  made  of  window  screen,  and  the  powder  is  ready  for  use. 

It  can  be  used  a  number  of  times  by  holding  the  fowl  over 
a  newspaper  to  catch  what  falls  off.  Shake  the  powder  well 
through  the  feathers.  Mr.  Lawny  says  he  has  found  this  powder 
much  more  effective  than  six  different  preparations  now  on  the 
market,  all  of  which  he  has  given  a  fair  test. 

Lice  Paint. — Substitute  kerosene  for  the  gasoline  as  directed 
in  the  powder,  making  the  formula  one  pint  of  crude  carbolic  acid 
to  three  pints  kerosene.  Painted  on  the  roosts  after  three  o'clock 
will  get  many  of  the  body  lice  from  the  hens  after  they  go  to 
roost,  besides  destroying  all  mites  and  lice  that  may  come  in  con- 
tact with  it.  He  says  he  has  found  this  much  more  efficient  than 
many  of  the  high-priced  proprietary  articles  he  has  used. 


The  Secret  of  Successful  Molting 

The  proper  months  for  molting  are  August,  September  and 
October,  but  in  young  stock  it  is  apt  to  begin  a  month  earlier  and 
in  old  stock  a  month  later.  The  older  the  fowl  the  more  delayed 
will  be  the  commencement  of  this  period. 

The  sexes  should  be  separated  until  the  fowl  has  completed 
her  new  growth.  In  fact,  it  is  not  advisable  to  remate  before  the 
first  of  the  new  year. 

Any  weakness  a  fowl  may  have  is  pretty  sure  to  develop  at 
molting  time.  Molting  is  not  a  disease,  but  the  strain  in  growing 
new  feathers  is  apt  to  weaken  the  fowl,  making  it  more  or  less 
susceptible  to  sickness. 

It  is  generally  accepted  that  it  takes  one  hundred  days  for  a 
fowl  to  change  its  coat  of  feathers. 

The  Van  Dresser  method  of  starving  and  then  overfeeding 
fowls  to  make  a  quick  molt  has  not  stood  the  test  expected.  The 
best  poultrymen  still  stand  by  Nature's  method. 

Both  sunflower  seed  and  linseed  meal  are  valuable  additions 
to  the  bill  of  fare  at  this  season  of  the  year.  The  bill  of  fare 
should  be  rich  in  nitrogen.  Green  food  is  important.  Unless  the 
material  in  the  food  is  of  a  feather-making  nature,  the  fowls  can- 
not shed  the  old  coat. 

When  a  hen  receives  a  large  supply  of  carbonaceous  food  she 
increases  her  fat  without  supplying  the  necessary  elements  needed 
in  the  renewal  of  the  feathers,  and  there  is  a  general  wasting 
away,  inactivity  of  the  bird,  and  death.  When  no  stimulant  is 
given,  the  shafts  of  the  new  feathers  seem  to  stick  on  too  i-^ng, 
not  splitting  open  freely. 


38  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

Zimmer*s  Secret  of  Securing  Foster  Mothers 

F.  B.  Zimmer,  who  is  a  bantam  raiser,  successfully  adopts 
this  method  of  hatching  and  rearing  his  chickens: 

I  use  an  incubator  for  hatching  the  eggs,  and  have  the 
hens  act  as  brooders.  In  many  cases  the  hens  have  not  been 
broody  and  on  their  nests  for  more  than  two  to  five  days  before 
the  chicks  they  are  to  raise  are  hatched  in  the  incubator,  but  that 
is  all  the  better,  as  then  they  will  set  much  more  quiet,  after 
having  the  chicks  given  them,  and  will  brood  them  more  steadily 
and  carefully  than  if  they  had  been  hatching  for  three  weeks 
and  were  tired  of  being  inactive. 

My  method  is  to  take  chicks  of  every  color  I  have  hatched, 
and  when  it  is  all  quiet  and  dark,  say  about  9  or  10  o'clock  at 
night,  go  out  to  my  hens  and  place  under  them  chicks  of  all  the 
different  colors.  This  method  has  a  double  advantage.  You 
can  give  each  hen,  after  you  take  her  off  the  nest,  as  many  chicks 
as  you  choose  of  any  of  the  colors  you  have. 

As  each  hen  has  chicks  of  the  same  color  as  has  the  rest, 
and  as  they  are  all  of  the  same  age  and  size,  the  coops  can  be 
arranged  close  together,  and  the  hens  will  not  kill  each  others' 
chicks. 


Broody  Hen  Secrets 

The  quickest  way  to  break  up  broodiness,  is  to  remove  the 
hen  from  her  nest  the  very  first  evening  she  deserts  her  roost 
The  sitting  fever  grows  in  intensity  each  day  after  it  has  fairly 
begun.  Obstinate  cases  will  require  a  week  or  more  to  cure, 
but  when  taken  in  time  a  few  days  will  suffice.  Broody  hens 
should  be  penned  in  a  pen  that  is  light  and  the  front  of  which 
has  wire  netting,  so  that  plenty  of  air  can  be  admitted.  Feed 
them  regularly  and  have  fresh  water  constantly  before  them.  Be 
sure  that  no  nests  are  in  the  building. 


John  Robinson's   Secret  of  Breaking  Up 
Broody  Hens 

John  Robinson,  a  practical  Pennsylvania  poultryman,  has 
hit  upon  a  novel  and  quick  method  of  breaking  up  broody  hens. 
He  places  the  hen  in  a  cage  built  entirely  of  lath,  there  being  no 
solid  floor  to  it.    This  cage  is  then  hung  on  the  fence  outdoors, 


SECRETS  OF  HOUSING  AND  CARE.  39 

SO  that  the  air  can  pass  through.  Being  hung  up  in  an  airy  place 
the  hen  becomes  confused,  diverting  her  attention  more  to  her 
situation  than  her  condition,  and  consequently  in  twenty-four 
hours  the  broody  fever  leaves  and  she  can  be  placed  back  in  the 
pen  with  the  other  fowls.  During  the  time  she  is  placed  in  the 
cage  the  hen  is  deprived  of  both  food  and  water.  In  some 
instances  it  was  necessary  to  put  them  in  the  cage  for  a  second 
day  after  having  given  them  food  and  water,  but  he  has  never 
found  it  necessary  for  more  than  two  days  with  the  most  obstinate 
case. 


Secret  of  Chicks  Dying  in  the  Shell 


C.  F.  Townsend,  President  of  the  National  Poultry  Associa- 
tion, writes  that  the  secret  of  so  many  fully-developed  chicks 
dying  in  the  shell  is  not  through  weakness,  but  due  to  the  fact 
that  they  were  smothered.  He  adds :  "  The  remedy  is  easy.  If 
you  have  properly  tested  out  the  eggs,  there  should  be  none  left 
except  those  that  are  hatchable.  Therefore,  at  the  end,  if  any 
fail  to  pip,  have  ready  some  water  as  hot  as  the  hand  can  bear. 
Dip  the  eggs  in  this  for  a  moment,  and  then  remove  them  quickly 
to  the  outer  air.  In  a  great  majority  of  cases  the  chicks  will 
hatch  and  will  be  as  strong  and  lively  as  any  of  the  litter." 

Miss  Frances  E.  Wheeler  gives  the  same  reason  for  chicks 
dying  in  the  shell,  and  adds :  "  When  struggling  to  extricate 
themselves  from  the  shell,  they  surely  need  more  instead  of  less 
air  than  at  any  other  time.  Therefore  the  closing  of  the  valves 
of  the  incubator  at  this  critical  period  must  injure  the  hatch. 
While  a  hen  sticks  to  her  nest  for  the  last  forty-eight  hours,  she 
sweats  heavily,  and  swells  out  her  feathers,  keeping  them  ruffled 
out  as  during  no  other  period  of  the  hatch.  In  this  way  she 
gives  even  warmth,  extra  moisture  and  extra  ventilation. 

My  expeiience  is  that  eggs  need  considerably  more  air 
and  moisture  in  the  incubator  all  along  the  trip,  than  is  usually 
recommended.  If  plenty  of  moisture  is  supplied,  evaporation  of 
the  air  space  will  not  be  excessive,  even  with  the  valves  two- 
thirds  open,  and  in  a  rarified  atmosphere. 

If  the  incubator  temperature  runs  too  high,  the  hatch  may 
be  saved  by  removing  the  trays  from  the  machine  and  sprinkling 
the  eggs  with  tepid  water,  returning  them  to  the  incubator  when 
the  eggs  are  reduced  in  temperature  to  ninety  degrees.  But  a 
harsh  or  extreme  atmospheric  change  must  be  avoided  to  prevent 
disastrous  results. 


40 


POULTRY   SECRETS. 


Secret  of  Scaly-Leg  Cure 

While  grease — lard  or  vaseline — and  kerosene,  will  greatly 
assist  in  ridding  fowls'  legs  of  scales,  the  most  positive  and  the 
simplest  treatment  the  writer  has  tried  is  thoroughly  to  coat  the 
legs  with  gas  tar.  When  the  tar  wears  off  the  scales  go  with  it, 
leaving  the  legs  clean  and  fresh  looking.  This  gas  tar  can  be 
secured  at  any  gas  works. 


Right  Way  to  Carry  a  Fowl 

Note  the  ease  of  the  bird.     There  is  no  undue 
pressure  on  any  part  of  its  body. 


Wrong  Way  to  Carry  a  Fowl 

Note  how  the  breast  is  bulged  out. 


Blanchard*s  Secret  of  Stopping  Cocks  from 
Crowing  at  Night 

W.  J.  Blanchard  writes :  For  thirteen  years  I  kept  Leghorns 
in  a  city,  only  one  block  from  the  city  hall.  We  lived  in  "  Doc- 
tor's Row  "  (nineteen  of  them),  and  of  course  they  did  not  like 
to  be  kept  awake  at  nights  by  cocks  crowing,  and  thought  I  would 
have  to  sell  the  males,  but  as  I  was  watching  them  crow  the 
thought  dawned  on  me  that  a  bird  could  not  crow  unless  he 
threw  his  head  way  up.  So  I  built  some  coops  for  spare  cocker- 
els right  over  the  roosts,  only  about  a  foot  above,  and  every  time 
a  bird  thought  of  crowing  he  threw  up  bis  head  and  struck  the 
bottom  of  the  coop.  This  would  so  scare  him  that  he  forgot  to 
crow.     It  worked  to  perfection. 


a  Secrets 


Brown's  Secret  of  Preserving  Eggs 

Judge  George  O.  Brown  writes :  I  have  packed  eggs  in 
summer  in  boxes  in  salt,  when  eggs  were  selHng  at  twelve  cents 
a  dozen,  and  sold  them  in  January  for  thirty-five  cents  a  dozen. 
These  eggs  were  infertile,  no  males  running  with  the  hens. 

I  put  in  a  box  a  layer  of  two  inches  of  salt  or  dry  oats. 
The  eggs  were  placed  close  together  (but  not  so  they  will  touch), 
with  the  big  end  down,  and  then  I  sifted  salt  or  oats  on  the  layer 
of  eggs  to  make  a  foundation  for  another  layer,  and  so  on  until 
the  box  was  full.  I  then  took  the  box  to  the  cellar,  and  placed  it 
on  scantling  supports  to  keep  it  off  the  cellar  floor. 

By  placing  the  eggs  big  end  down^  prevents  the  yolks 
settling  to  the  shells,  as  the  air  bubble  will  hold  them  up.  Only 
clean  eggs  should  be  packed ;  dirty  eggs  should  never  be  washed 
with  water  and  then  packed,  as  they  will  not  keep  so  well. 

Secret  of  Killing  the  Fertility  of  Eggs 

Fanciers,  after  the  season  for  selling  hatching  eggs,  generally 
market  their  egg  crop  for  table  use ;  and,  in  order  to  prevent  any 
one  from  hatching  those  eggs,  resort  to  various  tricks  to  kill  the 
germ.  Some  dip  them  in  boiling  water  for  a  few  seconds.  This 
partially  hardens  the  albumen,  and  the  eggs  taste  as  though  they 
were  stale.  Others  smear  the  egg  with  lard  so  as  to  close  the 
pores.  This  causes  the  germ  to  die  and  the  egg  quickly  spoils. 
And  still  others  make  a  hole  in  the  egg  with  a  needle  which 
pierces  the  yolk,  causing  it  to  break.  Such  eggs  have  the  appear- 
ance of  being  addled.  All  such  practices  are  unfair  to  the  buyer 
of  table  eggs. 

On  the  farm  of  the  writer,  as  soon  as  the  breeding  season  is 
over  the  male  birds  are  removed  from  the  pens,  and  the  egg  crop 
goes  to  market.  Such  eggs  are  unfertile,  and  being  so  will  keep 
in  a  fresh  condition  twice  as  long  as  fertilized  eggs.  In  fact,  an 
unfertile  egg  never  rots. 

Secret  of  Winter  Eggs 

I  have  discovered  that  it  is  best  to  have  the  pullets  start  lay- 
ing the  latter  part  of  November,  and  have  found  that  such  birds 
as  a  rule  give  the  best  results  during  the  winter. 


42  POULTRY    SECRETS. 

To  prepare  for  the  winter's  work,  the  pullets  should  be  placed 
in  their  winter  quarters  as  early  in  October  as  possible,  so  that 
they  will  feel  more  at  home.  Moving  pullets  from  place  to  place 
will  so  upset  them  that  laying  is  often  delayed  for  a  month  or 
more. 

Large  families  must  be  avoided.  For  profit  a  family  of  -fif- 
teen is  best.  Nothing  is  gained  by  crowding  twenty-five  birds  in 
a  house  that  will  comfortably  quarter  but  fifteen. 

The  scratching-shed  houses  are  to  be  preferred,  especially  for 
young  birds.  These  houses  admit  plenty  of  air,  and  induce  the 
stock  to  exercise  by  scratching  among  a  lot  of  litter.  Pullets 
placed  in  tightly-built  houses  never  do  as  good  work  as  when 
they  are  accustomed  to  conditions  as  near  outdoors  as  possible. 
Another  advantage  in  the  scratching-shed  house  is  that  the  fowls 
can  exercise  indoors  during  bad  weather,  and  are  not  compelled 
to  endure  all  sorts  of  weather.  The  stock  must  be  protected,  and 
herein  is  a  great  secret  in  winter  egg  production. 

A  writer  in  an  exchange  says :  "  How  shall  we  induce  the 
hens  to  lay  when  eggs  are  scarce  and  high?  Up  to  the  present 
time  it  has  baffled  the  world.  We  can  count  on  the  annual  scarcity 
of  eggs  and  accompanying  high  prices  as  confidently  as  we  can 
count  on  the  regularity  of  the  tides  of  the  ocean.  .  .  .  When  I 
see  an  occasional  hen  lay  regularly  right  through  November, 
December  and  January,  and  even  see  an  occasional  man's  whole 
flock  do  the  same  thing,  I  believe  that  the  day  is  coming  when  we 
shall  be  able  to  understand  just  the  conditions  which  can  be 
depended  on  to  produce  the  desired  result  in  any  given  case.  .  .  . 
I  once  supposed  that  if  a  hen  was  fed  a  ration  that  supplied  every- 
thing needed  to  carry  on  the  functions  of  life  and  produce  eggs, 
and  in  liberal  quantities,  eggs  would  surely  be  forthcoming.  I 
now  know  by  sad  experience  that  while  this  holds  true  during 
what  we  call  the  natural  laying  season,  it  does  not  hold  true  in 
autumn  and  winter." 

Now  that  experience  is  no  doubt  the  experience  of  the  ma- 
jority who  keep  poultry,  but,  nevertheless,  it  does  not  prove  a  fact. 
I  have  kept  poultry  for  fully  thirty  years  or  more,  and  admit  that 
at  first  my  experience  was  like  that  of  the  writer  just  quoted.  But 
I  find  it  different  now — our  summer  egg  crop  is  not  nearly  so 
large  as  that  of  winter.  What  is  the  secret?  Trap  nests,  selec- 
tion, proper  management,  care  and  feed. 

A.  F.  Hunter  says :  "  There  are  thousands  and  thousands  of 
farmers  grumbling  because  their  fowls  do  not  lay  eggs  when  the 
eggs  would  bring  good  prices  (in  December,  January  and  Febru- 
ary), when  it  is  not  the  fowls'  fault  at  all,  but  the  fault  of  the 
cruel  '  penny-wise  and  pound-foolish  '  owners,  who,  to  save  a  dol- 
lar or  two  in  the  grain  account  buy  cheap,  damaged  food  for  the 
fowls,  and  then  expect  them  to  make  eggs." 


EGG  SECRETS.  43 

That  is  correct  so  far  as  the  feed  question  goes,  but  it  is  not 
feed  alone  that  must  be  considered.  In  my  experience  I  have 
learned  that  it  is  most  important  to  have  the  proper  housing,  and 
to  have  the  stock  not  only  early-hatched,  but  hatched  from  eggs 
laid  by  winter  layers.     That's  the  real  secret. 

I  use  trap  nests  and  keep  a  strict  record  of  every  egg  laid  be- 
tween October  ist  and  June  ist.  In  making  up  my  breeding  pens 
for  the  following  year  I  select  only  the  best  winter  layers — those 
giving  the  highest  records  (as  pullets)  during  the  months  men- 
tioned. I  discard  all  pullets  that  do  not  lay  in  January.  Each 
year  these  trap-nest  trials  are  repeated,  and  in  this  way  each  year 
I  strengthen  the  ability  of  the  stock  to  give  good  results  in  winter 
eggs.  Pullets  hatched  between  April  ist  and  May  15th  should 
lay  well  during  December  and  January — ^they  certainly  will  if 
properly  grown. 

A  well-known  poultry  authority  has  the  following  remarks  to 
make  on  this  interesting  subject:  "Much  has  been  said  and 
written  regarding  the  keeping  of  hens  or  pullets  for  winter  layers, 
and  as  yet  the  question  is  as  far  from  being  answered  as  it  was 
years  ago.  Those  who  have  taken  care  of  their  year-old  hens, 
looked  after  them  during  the  spring  and  summer  and  watched 
over  them  during  the  molting  season,  are  a  unit  in  saying  that 
hens  in  their  second  year  are  the  most  profitable,  while  those  who 
neglect  them  and  allow  them  to  get  in  poor  condition  complain 
and  say  they  do  not  lay  so  well  as  pullets." 

I  am  not  ready  to  endorse  that,  for  certainly  a  two-year-old 
hen  cannot  have  sufficient  control  and  strength  to  produce  the 
number  of  eggs  that  a  pullet,  with  all  the  vigor  of  youth,  can 
command.     But  I  have  had  yearling  hens  beat  my  pullets'  records. 

During  1899  I  began  experimenting  with  pullets,  and  from 
several  pens  secured  9,808  eggs.  During  1900  these  same  birds 
— as  yearling  hens — laid  13,702  eggs,  a  gain  of  3,894  eggs.  But 
even  that  cannot  be  taken  as  a  rule,  for  I  have  in  many  cases  had 
the  pullets  out-distance  the  yearlings,  and  as  for  two-year-olds,  I 
never  expected  them  to  reach  even  the  yearling  record. 

The  same  authority  continues :  "  Hens,  if  through  their  molt 
before  November  ist,  should  and  will  begin  to  lay  during  that 
month,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  time  of  maturity  of  the 
pullets  will  determine  definitely  whether  or  not  they  will  be  profit- 
able during  the  winter  months.  If  they  are  hatched  too  early 
they  will  begin  to  lay  in  August,  and  will  molt  in  October,  and 
therefore  will  not  lay  again  until  spring.  If  they  are  hatched 
too  late  they  will  not  mature  before  cold  weather,  and,  as  with 
the  early-hatched  poultry,  they  will  not  lay  during  the  time 
when  eggs  are  scarce  and  highest.  They  must  be  hatched  at  ex- 
actly the  right  time,  and  they  must  be  kept  growing,  else  they  will 
not  make  good  winter  layers." 


44 


POULTRY   SECRETS. 


Secret  of  the  An^ell  System  of  Securing 
Fertile  E^s 

Briefly  stated,  this  system  consists  of  a  yard  divided  by  a 
house  into  two  unequal  parts.  One  yard  large  enough  for  twelve 
hens,  and  a  smaller  yard  for  the  cock.  In  the  house  are  trap 
nests  with  two  openings.  Every  night  the  hens  are  put  in  the 
larger  yard.  The  cock  stays  permanently  in  his  own  quarters. 
Every  hen  that  lays  an  egg  or  enters  a  trap  nest  goes  out  into  the 
apartment  with  the  male  and  is  promptly  served.  When  night 
comes,  the  laying  hens  are  all  with  the  male  bird,  and  they  then 
are  returned  to  their  own  side  of  the  house  and  yard,  to  go 
through  the  same  process  each  day.  In  the  morning  the  male 
bird   is  alone  in  his  yard.     The  author  says  he  should  not  be 


ARRANGEMENT   OF   TRAP   NESTS   UNDER   THE  ANGELL  SYSTEM. 


allowed  to  serve  more  than  twelve  hens  in  order  to  have  every 
egg  fertile. 

The  hens  which  do  not  leave  their  yard  are  the  non-layers, 
and  may  be  removed. 

The  trap  nest  is  made  by  simply  fashioning  two  light  doors, 
using  one-inch  mesh,  wire  netting.  The  door  to  the  nest  which 
the  hen  enters  through  to  lay  is  hinged  from  the  inside,  and  is 
pushed  open  by  the  hen,  closing  behind  her.  The  door  in  rear 
of  the  nest,  opening  out  into  the  cock's  yard,  is  hinged  from  the 
outside.  When  the  hen  enters  the  cock's  pen  she  cannot  return, 
as  will  readily  be  seen.  These  doors,  or  gates,  are  light,  and 
work  easily,  and  should  be  the  size  of  the  entrance  of  the  nest  box. 
and  hinged  to  the  top. 

The  little  book  sells  for  $i.oo,  and  is  published  by  Albert 
Angell,  Jr.,  of  Orange,  N.  J. 


EGG  SECRETS.  45 

Secret  of  Egg(s  all  the  Year 

During  the  months  of  October,  November  and  December  of 
each  year,  there  is  always  a  more  or  less  scarcity  of  fresh  eggs, 
and  the  prices,  in  consequence,  go  up.  This  scarcity  is  due  to 
two  things  in  general :  the  molting  period  for  old  hens,  and  the 
absence  of  early-hatched  pullets. 

It  is  at  that  time  of  the  year  that  the  condition  powder  and 
the  poultry-food  man  begins  to  cry  his  wares,  and  it  is  surprising 
to  see  what  business  he  does.  While  I  believe  in  the  tonic  effects 
of  a  good  condition  powder,  or  a  scientifically-prepared  poultry 
food,  I  do  not  credit  these  articles  with  all  that  is  claimed  for 
them. 

They  should  be  used  with  judgment — a  little  goes  a  great 
way.  To  accustom  the  fowls  to  them  is  but  to  lose  the  tonic 
effect.  They  are  not  so  much  calculated  to  make  eggs  as  they 
are  to  tone  up  the  tissues  and  to  keen  the  appetite.  In  that  condi- 
tion the  fowl  eats  more  freely  and  better  assimilates  the  egg  food 
that  it  gets  in  good  pure  grain. 

This  scarcity  of  fresh  eggs  on  the  farm  can  only  be  remedied 
by  early  hatches  of  pullets.  Pullets  hatched  in  March  and  April, 
and  well  grown,  will  begin  laying  in  the  fall,  and  continue  in  the 
good  work  right  through  the  winter.  The  molting  hens  will 
again  start  up  in  January,  and  by  February  the  combined  work  of 
the  pullets  and  hens  will  give  a  big  supply  of  eggs,  and  it  will  be 
noticed  that  in  February  the  market  prices  for  eggs  are  on  the 
decline. 

The  great  trick  is  to  get  the  eggs  during  the  last  three  months 
of  the  year,  and  this  can  be  done  by  early  pullets  given  good  hous- 
ing, good  feed  and  good  care. 

Secret  of  Having  Perfect  Ei(gs 

It  is  common  every  now  and  then  to  read  an  account  in  some 
newspaper  of  one  of  the  subscribers  bringing  an  extraordinarily 
large  egg  into  the  office  of  the  editor,  and  the  aforesaid  editor  at 
once  heralds  the  news  as  though  it  was  one  of  great  public  im- 
portance. 

Such  eggs  are  important,  but  not  in  the  same  way  as  meant 
by  the  editor.  They  are  important  to  the  poultryman  inasmuch  as 
they  are  danger  signals.  They  tell  of  an  unhealthy  condition  of 
the  hen  that  laid  them.  No  strong,  healthy  hen  will  lay  either  a 
double-yoked  egg,  a  round  egg,  or  a  badly-shaped  egg.  Some- 
thing is  wrong  with  the  ovaries  of  a  hen  that  lays  anything  differ- 
ent than  a  regular-shaped  egg.  The  main  trouble  lies  in  the  fact 
that  the  hen  is  overfat.  Soft-shelled  eggs  can  come  from  one  of 
two  things,  viz.,  lack  of  sufficient  lime  in  the  food,  or  of  an  over- 
fat  condition. 


46  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

Instead  of  rejoicing  at  these  extra-large  eggs,  there  is  cause 
for  regret.  At  once  the  matter  should  be  investigated,  and  the 
general  condition  of  the  flock  looked  into.  If  it  is  found  that  all, 
or  the  majority  of  them,  are  heavy,  it  is  best  to  cut  down  the  quan- 
tity of  the  carbonaceous  or  starch  foods,  and  increase  the  nitro- 
genous material. 

In  the  main,  the  egg-eating  habit  is  caused  by  soft-shelled 
eggs  being  laid.  The  hens  get  a  taste  of  the  egg  and  thus  form 
the  appetite. 

To  prevent  these  bad  eggs  the  fowls  should  be  compelled  to 
exercise,  and  there  should  be  such  feed  given  as  will  supply 
plenty  of  lime,  and  in  addition  a  small  trough  of  cracked  oyster 
shell  should  be  constantly  within  reach  of  the  fowls,  so  they  can 
help  themselves  at  will. 

Kohr*s  Secret  of  Selecting  Layers 

.J.  W.  Kohr  sends  us  a  unique  method  of  selecting  layers  that 
favorably  responded  to  all  tests  made  with  trap-nest  hens.  He 
writes :  Every  good  layer  will,  when  about  half  grown,  form 
the  position  of  the  feathers  along  the  sides  of  the  comb,  and  the 
more  these  feathers  stand  up  and  curl  forward,  resembling  a 
brush,  the  better  layer  she  will  be.  For  six  years  I  used  this 
secret,  selecting  such  pullets  which  had  the  largest  brush  around 
the  comb,  and  my  flock  averaged  182  eggs  per  hen  per  year.  Not 
using  trap  nests,  I  cannot  say  what  the  highest  individual  record 
was. 

I  discovered  this  secret  about  fourteen  years  ago.  My  two 
sons  received  a  present  of  a  hen,  which  became  a  great  pet  and 
an  excellent  layer.  The  boys  named  her  "  Old  Shorty,"  and  I 
noticed  that  she  had  loose  feathers  along  the  comb  that  stood  up 
and  were  curled  forward,  resembling  a  brush.  I  bred  her,  and 
all  of  her  daughters  that  inherited  the  brush  along  the  comb  were 
good  layers. 

The  value  of  this  secret  is  that  if  one  wishes  to  purchase  good 
laying  stock,  he  need  not  handle  them  to  pick  out  the  layers,  as 
one  is  obliged  to  by  any  other  method.  You  can  tell  at  a  distance 
if  the  hens  are  good,  medium  or  poor  layers. 

Kulp's  Secret  of  Producing  Great  Layers 

W.  W.  Kulp,  one  of  the  most  successful  poultry  raisers  in 
this  country,  writes : 

The  trap  nest  is  a  sure  and  good  way  for  picking  out 
great  layers,  but  I  know  a  better  and  easier  method.  I  built  up 
a  strain  of  Leghorns  of  which  three  pullets  from  one  setting  laid 
726  eggs  in  one  year,  or  an  average  of  242  eggs  each.  They 
were  not  forced  in  feeding. 


EGG  SECRETS.  47 

This  is  my  secret:  Soon  after  I  began  poultry-keeping  as 
a  business,  in  1884,  I  selected  my  breeding  birds  according  to  a 
t)^e.  I  selected  hens  that  were  broad  across  the  back  and  at 
the  shoulders.  These  wide  hens  I  have  found  have  plenty  of 
room  for  the  inside  works,  and  are  strong  and  full  of  stamina. 
While  not  all  such  will  prove  extra  good  layers,  they  form  a  grand 
foundation  for  such  a  stram. 

Mate  these  hens  to  a  male  that  came  from  a  hen  that  laid 
four  eggs  in  five  days,  or  five  eggs  in  six  days.  There  are  hens 
that  will  do  better  than  that,  but  they  are  not  so  plentiful.  Such 
a  mating  will  produce  pullets  that  will  have  the  blood  line  from 
the  male  side,  the  very  best  mating  to  start  the  strain.  A  hen 
that  will  lay  four  eggs  in  five  days,  or  five  eggs  in  six  days,  can 
make  a  record  of  over  two  hundred  eggs  in  twelve  months,  pro- 
viding she  is  properly  cared  for.  A  Leghorn  that  is  a  steady 
layer  for  two  weeks  or  a  month  can  be  put  down  as  a  sure  layer 
for  the  year,  and  capable  of  a  great  record.  Be  sure  that  the 
male  is  out  of  a  great  layer,  and  as  much  progress  will  be  made 
as  by  the  use  of  trap  nests. 

Professor  Rice's  Fat  Hen  Secret 

Professor  James  E.  Rice,  of  Cornell  University,  probably  the 
foremost  living  American  poultry  expert,  gives  me  the  following 
statement  of  his  conclusions  as  to  the  proper  physical  condition  of 
liens  for  laying. 

I  believe  that  I  am  not  misjudging  the  natural  laws  govern- 
ing reproduction  in  domestic  animals  when  I  lay  down  the  broad, 
general  principle  that  a  condition  of  pregnancy  carries  with  it  a 
tendency  to  fatness.  When  we  apply  this  principle  specifically 
to  fowls  we  feel  justified  in  assuming  that  a  condition  of  egg 
laying  is  not  only  a  condition  of  reproduction  but  also  of  preg- 
nancy. After  a  very  large  number  of  examinations  of  fowls  in 
various  conditions  of  laying  we  find  that  in  every  instance,  a  fowl 
which  is  in  a  laying  condition  has  a  large  amount  of  surplus  fat 
in  her  body,  and,  conversely,  a  hen  that  is  not  in  a  laying  condition 
is  invariably  poor  or  at  least  does  not  show  a  condition  of  fatness. 
It  would  appear  that  a  poor  hen  cannot  lay. 

When  we  seek  an  explanation  for  this  condition  we  find  the 
composition  of  the  yolk  of  the  egg  gives  us  a  clew  on  which  to 
base  a  theory.  The  yolk  of  the  egg  contains  approximately  64 
per  cent,  fat,  while  the  white  of  the  egg  and  the  shell  contain  no 
fat.  The  yolk  is  the  first  part  of  the  egg  to  be  developed.  It  is, 
in  fact,  the  enlarged  ovule  that  develops  from  the  muscular  tissue 
of  the  ovary.  Manifestly,  the  first  part  of  the  egg,  therefore, 
cannot  be  developed  unless  there  is  surplus  fat  in  the  fowl's  body. 

Observations  in  methods  of  feeding  also  bear  out  the  truth- 
fulness of  the  above  statement,  because  fowls,  in  order  to  lay  well 


48  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

must  be  given  all  of  the  right  kind  of  food  that  they  will  eat  and 
digest  if  they  are  to  give  continuous  egg  production.  This  is  be- 
cause the  egg  is  made  from  the  surplus  nourishment  assimilated 
by  the  fowl  over  and  above  the  actual  maintenance  ration. 

The  fact  that  a  hen  must  be  more  or  less  fat  in  order  to  lay 
undoubtedly  will  be  questioned  by  most  persons  who  have  not 
closely  observed  the  relationship  between  the  physical  condition 
of  a  fowl  and  her  reproduction.  I  go  on  record  as  saying  that  if 
we  are  to  get  large  egg  yields  we  must  first  so  feed  our  fowls 
that  they  shall  be  reasonably  fat  and  then  take  our  chances  on 
their  becoming  overfat,  which  might  result,  in  the  end,  in  fatty 
degeneration  and  death.  A  few  hens  will  generally  have  a  ten- 
dency to  become  overfat  without  laying.  These  would,  in  any 
event,  be  likely  to  prove  unproductive  by  any  system  of  feeding 
because  they  inherit  a  tendency  to  throw  their  energies  into  flesh 
rather  than  into  eggs,  and  therefore  take  full  advantage  of  the 
opportunity  to  grow  fat  when  heavily  fed.  All  that  we  can  do 
to  overcome  this  tendency  to  overfatness  is  to  keep  the  fowls  in 
the  best  possible  physical  condition  by  keeping  them  in  clean, 
fresh  air  houses  and  encourage  them  to  exercise  freely  for  all  of 
the  cracked  or  whole  grain  that  they  eat,  and  meanwhile  give 
them  all  that  they  can  eat  up  clean  once  each  day  of  nourishing, 
easily  digestible  and  palatable  meat  and  ground  grain  in  order  to 
make  certain  that  they  have  all  they  can  digest.  In  addition,  of 
course,  they  should  have  always  accessible  bone,  oyster  shell  and 
grit. 

In  practice  this  result  can  best  be  secured  by  letting  the  fowls 
become  hungry  once  each  day,  preferably  in  the  morning,  and  to 
have  all  that  they  can  possibly  eat  twice  each  day,  preferably 
ground  feed  and  meat  at  noon  in  case  of  wet  mash,  or  in  a  hopper 
during  afternoon  if  dry  mash  is  used  and  mixed  whole  or  cracked 
grains  at  night.  They  should  go  to  the  roost  with  their  crops  full 
with  a  little  grain  left  over  in  the  deep  litter  to  induce  early  morn- 
ing exercise  and  feeding. 

In  view  of  the  above  does  it  not  seem  reasonable  to  assume 
that  fowls  in  order  to  reproduce  themselves  must  have  surplus 
energy  which  is  stored  up  in  the  fowl's  body  in  the  form  of  fat, 
against  a  time  of  need  ?  This,  it  seems  to  me,  is  a  reasonable  ex- 
planation of  the  well  known  fact  that  fowls  always  eat  more  for 
a  considerable  length  of  time  before  they  begin  to  lay,  which  is 
followed  by  an  increase  in  weight  before  actual  production  takes 
place,  and  the  well  known  fact  which  anyone  can  observe,  that 
the  hen  in  her  highest  condition  of  reproduction  weighs  more  than 
at  any  other  time  during  her  life.  The  natural  conclusion  is  that 
fowls  must  be  fed  not  only  well  balanced  rations  suited  to  all  of 
the  demands  of  the  body  as  to  protein,  fat  and  mineral  matter, 
but  that  they  must  also  have  a  sufficient  quantity  to  satisfy  the 
demands  of  the  body,  which  are  immense.  The  hen  is  the  great- 
est known  condenser  of  feed  into  a  finished  animal  product. 


EGG  SEC&ETS. 


49 


Crane's  Secret  for  Holding  Eggs  for  Hatching 

Professor  Otis  Crane,  instructor  in  poultry  at  Purdue  Uni- 
versity, sends  this  plan  for  constructing  an  egg  rack.  See  illus- 
tration. 

The  rollers  in  this  rack  are  made  of  broom  handles,  and  are 
placed  one  and  a  quarter  inches  from  the  back.   This  back  can  be 
the  wall  or  a  back  can  be  put  on 
the   rack.     The   side   pieces   are 
two  and  a  half  inches  wide. 

The  illustration  shows  a 
comer  of  the  rack,  and  also 
shows  how  it  is  constructed. 
The  rollers  are  put  in  by  nails 
driven  through  gimlet  holes  into 
the  ends  of  broom  sticks.  These 
gimlet  holes  should  be  bored 
three  inches  apart  and  one  and 
a  half  inches  from  the  back. 

The  advantages  of  this  rack 
are:  Cheap  and  easy  to  build; 
by  turning  the  roller  all  the  eggs 
on  it  turn,  thus  saving  much 
time ;  the  rack  takes  but  little 
room,  being  against  the  wall; 
the  air  can  pass  around  the  eggs, 
can  be  held  for  a  longer  time. 


and  in  consequence  the  eggs 


Boswell's  Secret  of  Testing  Eggs 

John  W.  Boswell,  Jr.,  one  of  the  leading  utility  poultrymen 
in  the  South,  here  gives  a  method  which  he  has  used  for  years  in 
testing  eggs  on  the  third  day  of  incubation,  and  later.  He  claims 
the  method  is  infallible  in  detecting  unfertile  eggs,  and  is  said  to 
have  been  used  by  the  incubatories  of  Egypt  and  China  for  hun- 
dreds of  years.     The  method  follows  : 

Place  the  warm  tray  of  eggs  on  top  of  the  incubator  or 
some  other  solid  place.  "  Thump  "  each  egg  sharply,  but  lightly, 
with  the  finger  nail,  or  tap  with  the  butt  end  of  a  lead  pencil. 
The  eggs  which  give  a  decided  "  clink  "  or  glassy  sound  are  unfer- 
tile. Those  which  give  a  deader,  mellow  sound  contain  a  germ 
which  has  begun  to  develop. 

A  few  tests  will  convince  the  most  skeptical  that  this  is 
the  most  practical  and  infallible  method  of  testing  eggs  early  in 
incubation.  Whether  the  eggs  are  white  of  shell,  or  very  dark 
brown,  makes  no  difference.  The  ramifications  of  the  minute 
blood  vessels,  and  the  change  which  has  taken  place  in  the  allan- 
tois,  cause  the  mellow  souncl  in  the  fertile  egg ;  while  the  contents 
of  the  unfertile  egg  remain  unchanged,  so  that  they  "  clink " 
sharply. 


50  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

Upon  first  attempting  this  way  of  testing,  provide  some 
fresh  eggs  which  have  not  been  incubated.  Compare  the  sounds 
of  these  with  those  of  the  eggs  in  the  tray.  You  will  soon  *'  catch 
on  "  if  you  have  any  delicacy  of  ear,  and  will  never  fool  with  a 
lamp  tester  again. 

On  the  tenth  day  you  may  test  the  same  way  for  the  germs 
which  have  died. 

Dr.  Woods'  Egg  Hatching  Secret 

It  is  well  known  that  the  greatest  losses  in  artificial  hatching 
are  through  almost  fully-developed  chicks  dying  in  the  shell.  To 
prevent  this  loss,  economize  the  time  of  hen  mothers,  and  get  the 
best  returns  in  livable  chicks.  Dr.  P.  T.  Woods  uses  this  secret 
method,  which  has  been  jealously  guarded  by  a  few  New  England 
egg  farmers  for  a  number  of  years : 

Start  your  eggs  in  the  incubator  when  you  have  a  fair  num- 
ber that  you  wish  to  set.  The  fresher  they  are  the  better.  It  is 
not  necessary  to  start  with  a  machine  full.  When  machine  is 
started,  round  up  your  broody  hens  and  get  them  located  in  hatch- 
ing nests  on  nest  eggs  to  get  them  accustomed  to  the  place  where 
you  wish  them  to  sit.  You  have  this  to  do  anyway  if  you  set 
hens.  Prepare  nests  in  the  usual  manner  with  a  moist  earth  or 
sod  bottom,  covered  with  clean  hay  or  soft  straw. 

By  the  time  your  incubator  has  been  running  seven  to  ten 
days  you  should  have  a  number  of  hens  ready  to  receive  eggs. 
Test  out  your  incubator  at  this  time  and  give  each  broody  hen 
from  eleven  to  fifteen  of  the  fertile  eggs  from  the  incubator.  In 
this  way  you  should  be  able  to  set  from  four  to  forty  hens  at  one 
time  on  fertile  eggs  exclusively.  The  incubator,  now  empty,  may 
be  filled  again  and  the  procedure  repeated. 

This  method  saves  the  time  of  the  incubator  and  the  time  of 
the  hens.  The  hens  sit  only  on  known-to-be- fertile  eggs,  and  in 
many  cases  hatch  every  egg.  The  eggs  are  hatched  in  from 
eleven  to  fourteen  days  after  the  hens  get  them,  thus  saving  time 
of  the  hens,  an  item  of  importance  on  an  egg  farm.  The  hatch 
of  two  hens  makes  a  comfortable  brood  for  one  hen,  and  the 
remaining  broody  biddy  can  be  set  over  again  on  the  next  lot  of 
fertiles  from  the  machine. 

While  it  is  usually  best  to  transfer  the  eggs  from  machine  to 
hens  by  the  tenth  day,  they  may  remain  in  the  machine  until 
the  fourteenth  day  if  necessary  in  order  to  obtain  sufficient 
broodies  to  cover  them.  Even  when  eggs  have  been  kept  in  the 
incubator  until  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  days  the  results 
in  chicks  hatched  under  hens  by  this  plan  have  been  good,  with 
very  few  chicks  dead  in  the  shell.  Eggs  from  same  lot  allowed  to 
remain  in  incubator  until  the  chicks  were  hatched  showed  much 
greater  losses  from  chicks  dead  in  the  shell. 


Market  Secrets 


Secret  of  Judging  the  Age  of  Dressed  Poultry 

When  the  writer  was  a  boy,  more  old  fowls  were  placed  in 
the  general  market  than  is  the  case  to-day,  as  no  one  parted  with 
their  hens  until  the  fowls  were  so  old  that  they  were  not  profitable 
for  egg  production. 

To-day,  therefore,  the  poultry  buyer  is  often  fooled  in  his 
judgment  of  the  age  of  poultry.  A  smart  housewife  taught  me 
the  following  method  of  determining  the  age,  and  it  is  certainly 
a  secret  worth  knowing:  When  she  selected  a  hen  she  would 
note  if  the  spur  was  hard,  and  the  scales  of  the  legs  rough — indi- 
cations of  old  age.  If  the  specimen  showed  very  little  spur,  and 
if  the  legs  were  more  smooth,  the  market  women  would  bend  the 
underbill.  If  unable  to  bend  it  down,  and  the  comb  seemed  thick 
and  rough,  she  would  refuse  to  buy,  no  matter  how  fat  and  plump 
the  carcass  might  be. 

A  young  hen  has  only  the  rudiments  of  spurs,  the  scales  on 
the  legs  are  smooth,  glossy  and  fresh  colored,  whatever  the  color 
may  be ;  the  claws  tender  and  short,  the  nails  sharp,  the  underbill 
soft,  and  the  comb  thin  and  smooth. 

If  the  turkey  hen  had  rough  scales  on  the  legs,  callosities  on 
the  soles  of  the  feet,  and  long,  strong  claws — or  if  the  turkey  cock 
had  a  long  beard — this  housewife  knew  that  either  of  the  car- 
casses was  old. 

An  expert  in  dressed  poultry  can  judge  the  age  very  closely 
by  using  this  method:  Take  the  end  of  the  breast  bone  farthest 
from  the  head  between  thumb  and  finger  and  attempt  to  bend 
it  to  one  side.  In  a  very  young  bird  (say  a  broiler  or  a  green 
goose)  it  will  be  easily  bent;  in  a  bird  a  year  or  so  old  it  will  be 
brittle;  and  in  an  old  bird,  tough  and  hard  to  bend  or  break. 
Unfortunately,  tricky  dealers  sometimes  break  the  end  of  the 
breast  bone  before  showing  the  bird,  and  thus  render  the  test 
worthless. 

Mackenzie's  method  is  as  follows :  A  young  turkey  cock  has 
a  smooth  black  leg,  with  a  short  spur.  The  eyes  are  full  and 
bright,  and  the  feet  supple  and  moist.  The  bill  and  feet  of  a 
young  goose  will  be  yellow,  and  there  will  be  but  few  hairs  upon 
them.     If  old  they  will  be  red. 

Scammel's  method  is :  The  feet  and  neck  of  a  young  fowl  are 


52  POULTRY    SECRETS. 

large  in  proportion  to  its  size.  A  young  capon  has  a  thick  belly 
and  large  rump,  a  poll  comb,  and  a  swelling  breast.  Young  ducks 
and  geese  are  plump,  with  light,  semi-transparent  fat,  soft  breast- 
bone, tender  flesh,  leg  joints  which  will  break  by  the  weight  of  the 
bird,  fresh-colored  and  brittle  beak,  and  windpipe  that  will  break 
when  pressed  between  the  thumb  and  fore-finger.  In  selecting  a 
goose  or  duck,  take  hold  of  the  toes  and  pull  them  apart ;  if  the 
web  separates  easily  it  is  young. 


Secret  of  Dressing  Fowls 

The  following  method  is  practised  by  an  expert,  and  is 
recommended  for  quick  and  thorough  work  in  dressing  fowls: 
The  carcass  is  first  dipped  into  cold  water  and  then  allowed  to 
drip,  after  which  finely  pulverzied  rosin  is  sprinkled  over  the 
feathers,  using  a  dredging  box  for  convenience.  This  being  care- 
fully done,  the  fowl  is  scalded  in  the  usual  manner.  The  rosin 
sticks  the  feathers  together  so  that  pinfeathers  come  out  with  the 
others,  saving  much  trouble.     Use  the  common  crude  article. 

Secret  o^  Celery-Fed  Broilers 

Some  years  ago  a  broiler  plant  on  the  outskirts  of  Washing- 
ton, D.  C,  secured  quite  a  trade,  at  advanced  prices,  for  what  it 
termed  "  celery-fed  broilers."  Two  weeks  before  being  marketed, 
celery  was  chopped  up  fine  and  fed  the  birds  being  fattened.  This 
gave  the  stock  a  peculiar  wild  flavor,  similar  to  the  canvas-back 
duck.  It  had  no  pronounced  celery  taste,  but  it  so  changed  the 
order  of  things  that  epicures  ''  smacked  their  lips  "  and  cried  for 
"  more." 

Secret  of  High-Priced  Market  Stock 

In  these  days  of  sharp  competition  with  breeds  of  all  classes, 
the  beginner  is  apt  to  become  puzzled  by  the  arguments  used  on 
all  sides,  and  is  very  much  undecided  just  what  breed  will  give 
the  best  returns. 

Of  course  much  depends  upon  the  kind  of  roaster  wanted.  If 
a  medium  size  is  most  salable,  say  four  to  five  pounds  at  six 
months  of  age,  I  raise  such  breeds  as  the  Plymouth  Rocks, 
Rhode  Island  Reds,  or  the  large-size  strain  of  White  Wyandottes. 

But  if  a  bird  is  wanted  that  will  weigh  from  six  to  eight 
pounds  at  six  months  of  age,  you  should  raise  either  the  Light 
Brahma  in  its  purity,  or  a  cross  of  Indian  Game  on  Brahma.  This 
cross,  by  the  way,  gives  a  very  satisfactory  roasting  fowl.  The 
Indian  Game,  being  a  solid,  plump  fowl,  will  add  more  weight 


MARKET  SECRETS.  53 

than  would  a  cross  between  one  of  the  American  or  the  Mediter- 
ranean breeds  on  the  Brahma. 

An  expert  lately  revealed  to  me  that  he  can  get  ideal  roasting 
fowls  best  from  the  Light  Brahma  in  its  purity,  especially  if  he 
first  grows  a  good  frame  on  his  birds,  and  then  fills  them  out  with 
carbonaceous  material. 

At  any  rate  a  bird  must  be  produced  that  will  stand  extreme 
forcing  and  at  the  same  time  have  a  plump  and  nice  body,  with 
good  weight.  The  prime  spring  roaster,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes 
known,  the  "  soft  roaster,"  is  a  bird  not  more  than  six  months  of 
age,  and  which  has  the  foregoing  characteristics.  Such  a  fowl 
will  certainly  be  good  and  tender. 

In  mentioning  these  varieties  it  is  assumed  that  the  market 
calls  for  a  yellow-skinned  carcass.  Should  it  demand  a  white- 
skinned  bird,  then  be  sure  to  raise  the  Black  Langshan  in  its  pur- 
ity, or  a  cross  of  Black  Minorca  and  Black  Langshan. 


Tmslow*s  Secret  of  High  Prices  for  Ducks 

One  of  the  most  successful  raisers  of  ducks,  catering  to  the 
fancy  New  York  trade,  is  William  H.  Truslow,  of  Pennsylvania. 
His  ducks  average  several  cents  per  pound  higher  than  usual  mar- 
ket prices,  and  his  supply  is  seldom  greater  than  the  demand. 
This  is  the  way  it  is  done : 

In  the  first  place,  Mr.  Truslow  has  excellent  stock,  well  fat- 
tened and  prepared  for  market.  He  proceeds  along  well-known 
lines  of  duck  culture,  with  no  unusual  methods  or  secrets. 

In  the  next  place,  Mr.  Truslow  is  a  close  student  of  his  mar- 
ket. He  knows  just  what  weight  and  color  of  skin  his  customers 
favor.  He  knows  at  what  times  of  year  the  demand  for  ducks 
is  heaviest,  and  he  plans  months  ahead  to  have  his  stock  at  its  best 
at  those  times.  He  sees  to  it,  also,  that  his  shipments  can  be 
relied  on  for  regularity,  so  that  customers  can  have  no  excuse 
for  going  to  other  shippers. 

Where  Mr.  Truslow's  method  differs  from  others  is  just 
here :  he  knows  that  only  where  a  breeder  is  able  to  create  a  de- 
mand for  his  own  particular  product,  either  of  poultry  or  eggs, 
he  will  secure  the  higher  prices.  As  soon  as  he  establishes  a  repu- 
tation, and  customers  are  able  to  identify  his  goods,  they  will  in- 
sist on  having  them  and  are  willing  to  pay  more  for  them.  Mr. 
Truslow  thus  solves  the  problem  of  labelling  his  ducks  wherever 
they  are  sold : 

He  buys  from  the  American  Can  Company  a  quantity  of  tin 


54  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

tags,  an  illustration  of  one  of  which  is  shown  herewith,  and  when 

each  duck  is  killed,  a  tag  is  inserted  in 
the  web  of  the  foot.  Patrons  of  the 
high-priced  hotels,  and  swell  cafes  who 
want  an  extra  nice  duck  always  order  a 
"  Truslow,"  and  they  know  they  are 
getting  it  by  means  of  this  tag,  which 
is  left  in  the  foot  when  the  duck  is 
cooked  and  appears  with  the  bird  on 
the  table.  If  only  a  portion  of  the  duck  is  served,  the  foot,  with 
the  web  spread  out  showing  the  tag,  is  placed  on  the  side  of  the 
dish  as  a  garnish.  These  tags  are  practically  the  same  as  are 
used  on  plug  chewing  tobacco,  except  that  the  points  are  longer. 
It  is  brown  in  color,  about  the  shade  of  roast  duck,  and  printed 
with  black  ink. 

To  apply  the  tag,  have  one  point  straight  and  the  other  bent 
to  a  right  angle ;  the  straight  point  is  inserted  in  the  web  of  the 
foot,  the  web  is  then  stretched  as  much  as  possible,  when  the  bent 
point  is  pushed  in  and  then  straightened  out.  The  elasticity  of  the 
web  holds  it  firmly  in  place.  These  tags  are  unavailable  for 
chickens,  but  no  doubt  a  hole  could  be  punched  in  the  chicken's 
foot  and  a  tag  of  a  different  design  attached  firmly  in  some  way. 

The  design  of  the  tag  is  Mr.  Truslow's  trade  mark.  It  is 
made  familiar  to  his  customers  and  others  by  appearing  on  his 
note  head  and  shipping  tags,  etc. 


Secrets  of  Exhibiting 


Drevenstedt*s  Secret  of  Conditioning  Fowls 
for  Exhibition 

J.  H.  Drevenstedt,  acknowledged  to  be  one  of  the  best  judges 
and  authorities  in  the  country,  gives  the  following: 

Many  an  inferior  bird  has  won  a  prize  over  a  superior 
specimen  because  the  owner  of  the  former  was  master  of  the 
"  tricks  of  the  trade,"  while  the  latter  was  "  the  man  that  stood 
still."  The  one  groomed,  plumed  and  even  faked  his  charge ;  the 
other  was  content  to  put  it  in  the  show  pen  as  Nature  grew  it. 

The  secret  of  success  in  winning  prizes  depends  largely  on 
the  condition  of  the  fowls  exhibited.  The  mere  fact  that  you 
have  grown  a  chicken  to  feather  out  perfectly,  kept  it  free  from 
lice,  made  it  weigh  up  to  standard  weight,  does  not  indicate  that 
you  have  the  prize  winner.  The  other  fellow  has  done  the  same 
thing  with  his,  and  a  little  more.  He  groomed  and  trained  his 
exhibition  specimens.  To  illustrate  this  briefly,  we  will  cite  an 
instance  which  occurred  at  the  New  York  Show  about  twelve 
years  ago,  viz. :  A  prominent  exhibitor  had  imported  a  ver>' 
fine  Black  Red  Game  cockerel  from  England,  took  him  from  the 
steamer  direct  and  placed  him  in  a  cage;  another  exhibitor  had 
a  bird  of  the  same  variety  in  a  cage  close  by.  When  the  judge 
poked  his  stick  into  the  cage  where  the  English  bird  was,  the 
latter  would  try  to  "  fly  the  coop."  In  other  words,  it  would  not 
pose  or  stand  while  being  examined.  The  American-bred  bird, 
when  touched  by  the  judging  stick,  knew  its  business  and  showed 
its  training  by  posing  nicely,  and  won  the  prize.  Yet  the  for- 
eigner was  intrinsically  by  far  the  better  bird ;  it  simply  was  not 
in  proper  condition  to  show  its  superior  points  when  the  judge 
came  around.  The  secret  of  showing  all  Games  and  Game  ban- 
tams to  advantage  is  in  proper  training  and  handling. 

This  is  a  simple  matter,  which  requires  patience  and  kindly 
affection  for  the  birds  in  hand.  A  little  petting  goes  a  great 
way  in  taming  those  Game  birds.  Rubbing  the  skin  under  the 
bill  gently  from  the  neck  upward  and  stroking  the  back  down- 
ward, slapping  the  wings,  will  make  the  bird  show  off  his  gamey 
qualities  in  fine  form.  The  oftener  you  do  it  the  better  the 
chances  will  be  for  a  grandstand  appearance  in  the  show  pen. 
The  plucking  of  hackle  feathers  to  make  the  neck  look  leaner, 
the  pulling  of  the  wing  feathers,  i.  e.,  the  primaries,  to  make  them 


56  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

grow  just  long  enough  for  a  scheduled  show,  are  tricks  of  a 
trade  that  are  practiced  and  seldom  detected.  One  of  the  chief 
faults  of  a  Game  or  Game  bantam  is  a  long  wing.  By  pulling 
the  primary  feathers  some  sixty  days  prior  to  a  show,  a  new  set 
will  appear  that  is  usually  about  the  proper  size — for  that  show. 
You  can  call  this  faking,  if  you  choose,  but  no  judges  can  detect 
it,  so  we  must  abide  by  the  unwritten  law  observed  by  old 
chicken  exhibitors,  viz.,  "  Faking  is  only  faking  when  it  is  dis- 
covered." 

In  breeds  other  than  Game,  training  is  just  as  important. 
All  exhibition  specimens  must  be  thoroughly  handled  and  tamed 
by  the  owner  or  his  help.  Granting  this  has  been  done,  we  will 
come  to  the  other  little  secrets  that  help  win  the  ribbons. 

Perhaps  the  hardest  classes  to  exhibit  and  judge  are  white 
fowls.  Conditioning  White  Plymouth  Rocks,  Wyandottes  and 
Leghorns  has  become  a  very  important  factor  in  determining  the 
winner  at  our  great  winter  shows.  In  fact,  it  is  more  of  an  art 
than  a  secret.  Every  means  is  resorted  to  to  get  a  bird  white 
as  the  driven  snow,  and  the  old  creed,  followed  centuries  ago  by 
its  founders  and  ever  since  by  apt  and  willing  pupils,  viz.,  "  The 
end  justifies  the  means,"  must  have  struck  a  very  deep  and 
responsive  chord  in  the  breasts  of  some  of  our  breeders  and 
exhibitors  of  white  fowl.  They  certainly  stop  at  nothing  to  gain 
their  object. 

This  brings  us  to  the  parting  of  the  ways — one  road  follow- 
ing the  natural,  the  other  the  artificial,  course. 

The  birds  of  the  air,  unrestrained  and  unconfined  by  the 
.hand  of  man,  breed,  thrive  and  grow  feathers  of  surpassing 
beauty.  It  is  the  survival  of  the  fittest,  the  survivors  growing 
their  garb  in  the  perfect  environment  only  Dame  Nature  can 
offer.  But  the  coloring  of  wild  fowl  is  far  different  than  that  of 
domesticated  poultry.  The  pampered  pets  of  man  must  be 
handled  differently  to  attain  the  Standard  of  Perfection  ideal  in 
the  show  room.  It  is  true  that  natural  methods  will  produce 
satisfactory  results  with  parti-colored  fowls,  but  with  white  fowls 
Nature  must  be  aided  by  the  artifice  of  man  in  most  cases. 

Twenty  years  ago  we  heard  or  saw  little  of  the  bleached 
birds  that  are  omnipresent  at  our  big  shows  to-day.  Yet  I  remem- 
ber scores  of  White  Leghorns  and  White  Wyandottes  shown  in 
perfect  condition  with  lustrous  white  plumage  and  clean  yellow 
legs,  that  never  were  subjected  to  the  modem  bleaching  pro- 
cesses. 

One  of  the  leading  White  Leghorn  breeders  in  the  Empire 
State  always  showed  his  birds  in  splendid  condition  and  won 
hundreds  of  prizes  fifteen  years  ago.  I  was  at  his  farm  in  the 
summer  of  the  early  nineties  and  saw  several  thousand  White 
Leghorn    chickens    foraging    in    a    big    cornfield.     The    shade 


SECRETS   OF   EXHIBITING.  57 

afforded  by  the  tall  maize  and  the  rich  pickings  of  grubs  afforded 
by  a  generous  soil  and  green  fodder  of  the  cornstalks,  just  grew 
those  Leghorns  in  an  ideal  way.  When  rounded  up  in  the  late 
fall,  the  birds  were  clean  in  color  of  shanks  and  plumage.  The 
best  specimens  were  selected  and  placed  in  large  pens,  the  bot- 
toms of  which  were  covered  with  clean  straw,  and  here  those 
birds  were  trained  and  tamed  until  ready  to  exhibit.  They  were 
not  washed  at  all.  A  thorough  rubbing  of  the  feathers  with  a 
silk  handkerchief  removed  the  outer  dust,  if  any,  and  polished 
the  web;  the  legs  were  carefully  brushed  and  oiled  with  sweet 
oil ;  the  comb  was  rubbed  with  a  very  small  amount  of  vaseline. 
That's  all.     And  these  birds  were  winners  and  looked  like  such. 

To-day  it's  a  different  stor)\  Birds  must  be  washed  and 
bleached  to  get  that  "  dead  white  "  plumage  so  fashionable  and  so 
foolishly  demanded  by  exhibitors  and  judges.  Not  only  must 
the  plumage  be  white,  but  the  quills  also.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
a  real  white  bird  in  Nature  always  has  white  quills  and  usually 
white  plumage,  albeit  a  little  tinge  of  straw  color  will  appear  on 
wing-bows  and  back  of  males  occasionally.  Peroxide  of  hydrogen 
may  remove  this,  but  no  chemicals  have  yet  been  safely  used 
that  will  bleach  a  yellow  quill. 

Birds  intended  for  the  show-room  should  be  selected  two 
months  prior  to  the  show,  the  males  separated  from  the  females 
to  avoid  breaking  of  feathers.  Each  specimen  should  be  care- 
fully examined  and  all  broken  and  off-colored  feathers  removed, 
which,  if  pulled  at  this  time,  may  come  in  perfect,  as  off-colored 
feathers  are  often  caused  by  a  bruise  or  injury  to  the  feather 
when  it  is  forming.  Dust  each  bird  with  a  good  insect  powder 
to  make  sure  that  it  is  free  from  lice.  On  stormy  days  confine 
the  birds  to  the  buildings.  J4  the  birds  are  quite  dirty  they  will 
require  several  washings  to  get  them  in  the  best  possible  condi- 
tion. The  first  wash  should  be  about  two  weeks  before  show- 
time. 

To  wash  birds,  a  warm  room,  soft  water,  good  soap — 
Ivory  or  castile — a  sponge,  several  towels,  three  washtubs  and  a 
requisite  amount  of  patience  and  care  are  the  chief  requirements. 
Perhaps  we  might  add  a  little  "  elbow  grease." 

Fill  two  tubs  half  full  with  warm  water,  just  hot  enough 
for  the  hand  to  feel  comfortable  in.  Rub  the  soapsuds  thor- 
oughly into  the  plumage,  rubbing  with  the  feathers,  not  against 
them.  Lather  the  bird  thoroughly  in  every  section  and 
remove  every  particle  of  dirt.  Begin  at  the  head  and  never 
leave  a  section  until  assured  that  the  dirt  is  removed.  Rinse 
the  bird  in  the  second  tub,  using  the  sponge  saturated  with 
water  freely,  until  every  particle  of  soap  is  removed.  This 
is  important,  for  if  any  soap  remains  the  plumage  will  come 
out     blotchy    and     will    not    take    the    blueing    water    evenly. 


58  POULTRY  SECRETS. 

Then  give  the  bird  the  final  rinsing  in  the  tub  of  clean,  cold 
water,  to  which  a  very  slight  amount  of  liquid  blueing  has  been 
added.  The  latter  is  as  important  as  the  blueing  used  to  whiten 
fine  linen.  Dip  two  or  three  times  in  the  blueing  water  to  make 
sure  the  latter  permeates  all  through  the  feathers.  But  don't 
put  too  much  blue  pigment  into  the  water,  as  it  will  show  next 
to  the  quills  in  the  web  of  the  feathers  and  lose,  instead  of  win, 
the  prize.  After  the  bird  has  been  thoroughly  rinsed  in  this 
blueing  water,  squeeze  the  water  out  of  the  plumage,  drying  with 
the  towels,  place  the  bird  in  a  roomy  coop  having  a  wired  or 
slatted  front,  the  side  and  top  being  covered  with  muslin.  The 
bottom  should  be  covered  with  clean  straw  or  coarse  shavings. 
Place  this  coop  near  a  good  fire — not  a  roaring,  red-hot  one — 
about  ninety  degrees  is  a  safe  temperature,  and  in  a  few  hours 
the  bird  will  plume  itself,  and  when  thoroughly  dried  will  look 
as  clean  and  white  as  it  is  possible  to  make  it  by  legitimate 
means.  Artificial  means  go  further,  viz.,  if  any  tinge  of  brassi- 
ness  is  observable  on  back  or  wing-bows,  a  sponge  saturated  with 
peroxide  of  hydrogen,  rubbed  gently  over  the  surface,  will  often 
remove  it  without  injuring  the  lustre  of  the  plumage  or  destroy- 
ing the  texture  of  the  web  of  the  feathers.  The  oxalic  acid 
bleaching  process  with  the  talcum  powder  rub,  or  magnesia 
carbonate  powder,  requires  a  slick  person  to  apply.  It  is  a 
method  that  should  be  universally  condemned,  as  it  is  injurious  to 
the  feathers  and  an  imposition  upon  the  judge  and  prospective 
buyer  of  birds  so  prepared.  There  are  persons,  however,  who 
make  a  business  of  bleaching  birds  by  a  similar  process.  The 
consideration  for  changing  a  brassy-surfaced  plumage  to  a  snow 
white  one  is  usually  ten  dollars.  If  anybody  desires  to  fool  the 
public  and  does  not  care  to  expend  ten  dollars,  he  or  she  can 
experiment  with  peroxide,  oxalic  acid,  Javelle  water,  or  any  of 
the  straw-hat  bleaching  powders,  and  possibly  obtain  similar 
results. 

The  bird,  being  washed  and  in  fine  plumage,  now  needs  the 
finishing  touches  to  the  comb,  wattles,  lobes  and  legs.  There  are- 
all  kinds  of  preparations  used  to  bring  these  "  points  "  out  efifect- 
ively,  but  there  is  nothing  better  or  easier  to  use  than  pure  car- 
bolated  vaseline.  After  comb,  wattles  and  lobes  have  been 
washed  and  dried,  rub  ve^y  little  vaseline  into  the  texture  of  the 
skin,  and  rub  it  good  and  hard.  It  will  bring  out  the  color  in 
great  shape.  Shanks  and  toes,  after  being  thoroughly  brushed 
with  soap  and  water,  applied  with  a  toothbrush,  and  dried,  can 
be  anointed  the  same  way  with  vaseline.  Fowls  treated  in  this 
manner  and  placed  in  shipping  coops  that  have  muslin  on  the 
inner  sides,  plenty  of  coarse  straw  or  shavings  on  the  bottom, 
will  arrive  in  the  show-room  in  first-class  order,  and  need  little 
or  no  handling  prior  to  the  judging.     With  large  fowl,  such  as 


SECRETS   OF   EXHIBITING.  59 

Brahmas  and  Cochins,  which  are  slow  in  getting  into  condition, 
liberal  feeding  with  sweet  milk  and  raw,  lean  beef  will  accomp- 
lish wonders  in  making  them  grow  and  shine. 

Buff  color  is  the  hardest  to  maintain  to  an  even  shade. 
The  secret  of  getting  even,  rich,  golden  buff  color  is  never  to 
allow  sun  or  rain  to  touch  the  surface  of  a  showbird.  One  of 
the  most  successful  exhibitors  of  buff  fowl  provides  dense  shade 
for  his  growing  chicks,  and  when  the  latter  attain  their  full 
plumage  they  are  kept  in  a  shed  where  sun  and  rain  cannot  enter 
to  any  great  extent. 

With  parti-colored  breeds  the  main  thing  is  to  have  birds 
tamed  and  in  high  condition.  Washing  is  not  necessary  where 
cleanliness  and  care  are  observed  in  housing  the  fowls.  But  in 
laced  and  barred  varieties  of  fowl,  it  is  necessary  to  pluck  the  old 
feathers  and  often  some  of  the  new  and  overlapping  ones,  from 
the  back,  wing-bows  and  breast,  to  bring  out  a  better-laced  or 
penciled  effect.  This  is  what  might  be  called  "  grooming,"  and 
can  hardly  be  classed  under  the  much-discussed  and  abused  term 
of  "  faking  "  as  defined  in  the  American  Standard  of  Perfection. 

Briefly  speaking,  the  secret  of  conditioning  fowls  for  exhi- 
bition is  the  specimen  itself,  thoroughly  cleaned,  trained  and 
groomed  by  a  careful,  painstaking  exhibitor. 


Heitnlich's  Secret  of  Producing  Successful 
Exhibition  Fowls 

D.  T.  Heimlich,  one  of  the  most  popular  poultry  judges  and 
exhibitors  in  the  West,  writes  : 

After  ten  years'  experimenting  to  produce  high-class  exhi- 
bition stock,  I  learned  that  to  get  the  best  and  most  satisfactory 
results,  the  essential  feature  of  success  was  to  have  range  where 
a  variety  of  food  is  supplied  in  the  way  of  grass,  slugs,  bugs, 
grasshoppers ;  wheat,  corn  and  oats  fed  just  as  they  choose  to 
help  themselves — and  when  night  comes  every  hen  goes  to  roost 
with  a  full  crop. 

All  during  the  summer  and  fall,  up  to  the  first  day  of 
December,  these  flocks  of  mine  roost  in  a  cedar  hedge,  and  on 
plum  and  apple  trees,  and  is  the  only  shelter  and  roost  they  have 
for  six  or  seven  months  of  the  year.  After  that  they  are  driven 
in  the  hen  house  for  a  few  evenings,  which,  by  the  way,  is  an 
open-front  house. 

Chicks  soon  after  feathering  form  the  habit  of  roosting  on 
the  cedar  limbs,  and  this  exposure  to  wind  and  weather  seems  to 
make  them  immune  to  colds,  roup  or  diseases  of  any  kind,  and  but 
few  of  them  ever  become  lousy  or  scaly-legged.  We  raise  from 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  to  two  hundred  annually  under  these 


6o  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

conditions,  and  in  comparison  with  other  flocks  these  gain  from 
a  half  to  a  pound  in  weight  over  chicks  raised  under  different 
methods  of  care  and  feeding. 

When  removed  to  the  houses,  those  pullets  intended  as 
breeders  are  selected,  banded  and  mated  to  two  brothers  as  near 
alike  in  general  character  as  can  be  selected  from  other  matings 
of  the  same  blood  and  breeding.  Pullets  as  a  rule  are  laying  at 
six  or  seven  months  of  age. 

Hens  with  chicks  are  kept  penned  for  two  weeks,  then 
given  the  range  of  the  farm,  and  are  fed  twice  daily  on  chick 
food,  and  in  this  way  are  constantly  kept  growing. 

My  method  of  winter  feeding  for  fowls  kept  in  runs  is  a 
mixture  of  two  bushels  of  ground  corn,  two  of  ground  oats,  four 
of  wheat  bran,  fifty  pounds  of  beef  scraps,  twenty  pounds  of 
alfalfa,  and  twenty  pounds  of  oil  meal.  This  is  fed  in  troughs, 
dry,  where  they  can  help  themselves.  In  addition,  twice  daily, 
cracked  corn  and  whole  wheat  is  thrown  to  them  in  the  scratching 
pens,  which  are  littered  with  straw  to  the  depth  of  about  six 
inches.  Grit,  charcoal  and  pure  water  is  placed  so  the  fowls 
can  have  access  to  it  at  all  times.  For  change  of  diet,  s-prouted 
oats,  or  oats  soaked  in  water  over  night,  is  fed.  The  latter  is 
especially  resorted  to  when  a  poorly-formed  shell  appears  among 
the  eggs  laid.  Two  or  three  days'  feeding  of  oats  will  correct 
this  trouble  and  bring  about  normally-formed  eggs.  Should  this 
not  entirely  prevent  soft  or  irregularly-formed  eggs,  then  I  drop 
a  small  lump  of  lime  into  the  drinking  water,  and  cut  off  the 
com  feeding  in  the  litter. 

I  have  also  found  that  equal  parts  of  the  above  ground  mix- 
ture wet  with  soaked  oats,  is  a  mess  that  will  be  greedily  eaten 
when  fed  two  or  three  times  a  week,  and  gives  the  most  satis- 
factory results  for  size,  quality  and  abundance  of  eggs  when 
wanted  in  winter  and  spring. 

Zimmer's  Secret  of  Line  Breeding 

F.  B.  Zimmer,  one  of  the  old-time  poultry  judges  and  poul- 
trymen,  says  in  mating  and  breeding  for  desirable  qualities  he 
has  made  rapid  progress,  and  at  the  same  time  fully  established 
his  desires  by  choosing  the  most  typical  representative  in  the 
qualities  desired.  If  a  male,  the  first  season  he  bred  him  to  the 
best  or  strongest  female  having  as  many  of  the  desirable  qual- 
ities as  possible  to  obtain.  The  next  season  this  typical  sire 
is  bred  to  one  or  more  of  his  own  daughters  that  are  strong  in 
these  qualities. 

In  one  instance  Mr.  Zimmer  bred  a  sire  to  his  daughters, 
out  of  his  daughter,  for  five  generations.  The  sire  was  a  typical 
Red  Pyle  Game  bantam.     The  result  of  the  mating  was  the  most 


SECRETS   OF   EXHIBITING.  6l 

beautiful  and  typical  pullets  in  America,  Mr.  Zimmer  never  fail- 
ing to  secure  first  prize  for  pullets  at  the  leading  shows.  He  fur- 
ther says  that  the  last  chicks  produced  were  just  as  hardy,  just 
as  good  layers,  and  just  as  strong  as  the  original  pair. 

Any  quality — be  it  size,  shape,  color,  comb,  laying  qualities, 
etc. — can  be  improved  upon  and  made  permanent,  and  in  the 
shortest  possible  time,  by  this  method.  The  mating  can  be  a 
son  on  the  perfect  dam,  or  the  perfect  sire  to  his  nearest  perfect 
daughter.  Mr.  Zimmer  does  not  call  this  method  "  in-breeding," 
but  rather  scientific  line  breeding. 

Rig'g's  Secret  of  Uniformly-Marked  Exhibition 

Stock 

Thomas  F.  Rigg,  who  for  more  than  thirty-six  years  has 
bred  Standard-bred  poultry,  writes  that  in  all  that  time  he  has 
not  introduced  one  drop  of  new  blood  into  the  strain  on  the  male 
side.  By  so  doing,  he  reasons,  he  would  by  a  single  blow  shatter 
the  foundation  which  it  took  him  years  to  obtain. 

He  introduces  new  blood  by  the  purchase  of  a  female.  This 
female  must  be  a  hen  and  not  a  pullet.  He  says  that  no  one,  not 
even  the  most  skilled  and  experienced  fancier,  can  tell  anything 
of  the  qualities  of  a  pullet  as  a  breeder.  The  pullet  must  be 
allowed  to  go  through  the  second  annual  molt  before  one  can 
determine  its  worth  so  far  as  plumage  markings  are  concerned. 
The  new  blood  must  be  from  known  quality. 

This  hen  Mr.  Rigg  mates  with  a  male  of  his  own  strain. 
The  males  from  this  mating  are  not  used,  but  instead  sent  to  the 
butcher,  but  the  best  pullet  is  kept  until  the  spring  of  her  second 
year  before  she  is  mated.  She  is  then  mated  to  one  of  Mr.  Rigg's 
males — to  her  father,  or  to  a  son  of  her  father. 

In  this  way,  every  few  years,  a  little  new  blood  is  injected 
into  his  strain  without  detracting  from  it.  This  new  blood  will 
carry  him  for  several  years. 

Mr.  Rigg  further  states  that  the  introduction  of  a  new  male 
into  a  fancier's  flock  each  year  is  ruinous.  The  two  blood  lines 
are  fighting  for  supremacy.  The  conflict  gives  us  all  kinds  of 
markings  and  practically  no  high-scoring,  finely-marked  speci- 
mens. 

This  line  breeding  of  Standard-bred  fowls  is  a  plan  that  will 
insure  success  in  both  dollars  and  satisfaction. 

Marshall's  Secret  of  Training  the  Show  Bird 

F.  J.  Marshall,  one  of  the  leading  poultry  judges  of  the 
South,  writes :  After  an  experience  of  over  a  quarter  of  a 
century  in  the  show-room,  judging  and  exhibiting,  I  have  come 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  greatest  secret  of  success  in  the  show- 


(52  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

room,  other  things  being  equal,  is  the  trained  show  bird.  Nothing 
in  my  estimation  goes  so  far  toward  showing  all  the  good  points 
a  bird  may  possess  as  to  have  him  so  trained  that  the  judge  or 
his  attendant  may  handle  him  with  perfect  ease.  That  he  will 
stand  in  any  position  in  which  he  may  be  placed,  and  is  ever  ready 
to  pose  as  if  for  a  picture. 

A  judge  will  give  such  a  specimen  every  point  he  deserves, 
and  the  benefit  of  any  doubts  against  him.  In  handling  such 
birds  the  judge  very  naturally  feels  kindly  toward  them,  and 
when  you  get  the  judge  in  his  best  mood  you  get  the  best  he  has 
to  give. 

A  few  spare  moments  a  day  devoted  to  handling  and  train- 
ing show  specimens  will  soon  convince  them  that  you  are  their 
friend  and  will  do  them  no  harm.  Have  a  few  fine  morsels  of 
meat,  or  something  to  tempt  them,  while  handling  them.  This 
will  put  them  in  a  good  humor. 

For  increasing  the  weight  of  your  show  birds,  after  they 
have  been  shipped  to  the  show-room,  and  perhaps  lost  quite  a  little 
in  transit,  nothing  helps  more,  and  is  so  safe  to  feed,  as  the  regular 
cooked  and  seasoned  bologna  sausage.  It  is  highly  seasoned,  and 
I  do  not  know  of  a  case  of  sickness  attending  its  use,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  it  usually  produces  the  best  of  health. 

Feed  grain  dry,  what  they  will  eat  up  clean,  and  then  fol- 
low with  the  sausage  and  water,  and  you  are  ready  for  the 
weigher.  Find  out  when  the  weighing  is  to  be  done,  and  have 
everything  in  readiness.  Attend  to  these  matters  yourself,  as  no 
one  else  can  or  will. 


Lambert's  Secret  of  Growing  Good  Tails 

Daniel  J.  Lambert,  one  of  the  best-known  poultry  judges  and 
authorities  in  America,  and  teacher  in  the  Rhode  Island  State 
College  Poultry  Department,  gives  a  valuable  secret  for  growers 
of  exhibition  poultry : 

One  of  the  secrets  not  generally  known  outside  of  profes- 
sional poultry  judges  and  experienced  exhibitors  is  the  neces- 
sity of  show  males  possessing  good  tails.  By  good,  I  mean  those 
in  size,  shape  and  color  as  described  in  the  Standard  and  in  per- 
fect condition  when  the  bird  is  shown.  I  have  often  advised 
prospective  exhibitors  on  this  point  more  than  others  because  I 
knew  that  if  the  tail  were  full  fledged,  unbroken  and  clean  the 
balance  of  the  bird  would  usually  be  in  the  pink  of  condition. 

Of  course,  abounding  vitality  is  a  paramount  requisite, 
and  a  cock  or  cockerel  lacking  in  vigor  will  show  it  quicker  in  the 
carriage  of  his  tail  than  in  color  of  comb  or  in  any  other  way. 

The  most  Standard-like  tails  are  bred  from  ancestry  pos- 
sessing such  themselves  for  at  least  two  previous  generations. 


SECRETS  OF  EXHIBITING.  63 

High  tails,  low  tails,  long  tails,  broad  and  pinched  tails  are  usually 
the  result  of  poor  breeding,  while  wry  and  squirrel  tails  are  often 
caused  by  roosting  too  close  to  the  sides  or  top  of  building.  A 
safe  roost  is  at  least  eighteen  inches  from  the  walls  and  twenty- 
four  from  the  rafters. 

The  time  to  show  birds  is  when  they  are  in  their  prime, 
neither  immature  or  over  ripe,  as  their  tails  are  then  all  in  and 
the  proper  length.  This  necessitates  hatching  at  certain  periods 
for  particular  shows  and  special  preparation  of  cock  birds  to 
hasten  or  retard  their  molt.  The  growing  cockerels  must  have 
plenty  of  room  and  a  good  range,  with  grass,  shade,  pure  water 
and  sound  feed  in  abundance.  A  cock  bird  may  be  hurried  with 
his  molt  by  feeding  a  very  narrow  ration  (one  rich  in  protein  and 
deficient  in  carbohydrates)  or  retarded  by  giving  one  weak  in 
protein  and  rich  in  carbohydrates. 

Lice,  mites  and  nice  show  birds  do  not  grow  in  the  same 
coop.  Vermin  not  only  reduce  the  vitality  of  their  victims,  but 
injure  the  shape  and  lustre  of  their  plumage.  Prospective  win- 
ners must  be  kept  clean  from  the  shell  to  the  show-room ;  look 
carefully  around  the  base  of  the  tail  of  each  bird  for  vermin.  No 
oil  or  grease  of  any  kind  can  be  used  on  or  around  show  birds, 
not  even  on  their  shanks,  unless  they  are  immediately  wiped  clean. 
It  is  easy  to  wash  a  bird  nicely  when  you  know  how,  but  not 
so  easy  to  get  all  of  the  soap  out  of  their  tail  feathers  without 
breaking  the  web  or  otherwise  injuring  the  sickles.  It  is  much 
better  to  keep  them  away  from  dirt  and  filth  so  that  they  will  be 
clean  and  attractive  at  all  times. 

As  the  show  season  draws  nigh,  say  six  or  eight  weeks 
before  the  date  of  the  exhibition,  they  should  be  examined  and 
all  broken  feathers  in  wing  or  tail  removed  so  as  to  allow  time 
for  new  ones  to  grow  in  their  place.  When  these  are  growing 
be  careful  to  see  that  the  main  feathers  are  unobstructed  and 
that  the  sickles  curve  nicely  on  the  sides  of  the  tail. 

It  is  best  to  pen  show  males  separately  in  a  cage  similar 
to  an  exhibition  coop,  for  at  least  two  weeks  before  the  show, 
allowing  them  to  exercise,  alone,  under  cover  on  a  clean  straw- 
covered  sand  floor.  For  transportation  to  the  show  use  shipping 
coops  high  enough  (thirty  inches)  for  the  bird  to  stand  up  in  and 
wide  enough  (sixteen  inches)  so  that  the  largest  males  can  turn 
around  without  breaking,  bending  or  injuring  that  all-important 
tail. 

Heck*s  Secret  of  Adding  Exhibition  Weight 

Frank  Heck,  one  of  the  best  authorities  in  the  West  on  exhi- 
bition poultry,  gives  here  a  secret  that  has  never  before  been 
divulged : 

Many  a  bird  of  superior  merit  fails  to  win  because  of  the 


64  POULTRY   SECRETS. 

severe  cut  for  shortage  of  weight.  Generally  a  pound  or  si 
pound  and  a  half  can  be  added  to  a  bird  by  expert  feeding.  The 
special  feeding  should  begin  about  four  to  six  weeks  before  the 
fowl  is  to  be  shown,  and  it  should  be  confined  in  a  small  pen  or  a 
big  roomy  coop.  One  feed  each  day  is  a  mash,  the  greater  por- 
tion of  which  consists  of  two  or  more  of  the  following  articles : 
boiled  rice,  boiled  potatoes,  corn  meal,  barley  meal,  buckwheat 
meal.  Bran,  wheat,  middlings,  ground  oats,  etc.,  may  form  a 
small  percentage  of  the  total  bulk.  Five  per  cent,  of  beef  tallow, 
linseed  meal  or  cotton  seed  meal  is  added.  Mix  the  mash  with 
whole  or  skim  milk,  the  former  preferred.  Give  sweetened  water 
to  drink.  Two  other  feeds  per  day  are  given,  consisting  of  com, 
barley  or  buckwheat.  An  ample  supply  of  grit  is  kept  before 
the  birds.  With  the  variety  of  food  here  specified,  the  breeder 
can  avoid  feeding  the  same  mash  or  the  same  whole  grains  two 
days  in  succession.  The  object  should  be  not  to  cloy  the  appe- 
tite of  the  birds  by  continued  feeding  of  the  same  rations.  A 
good  tonic  or  condition  powder  is  valuable  to  counteract  the  ill 
effects  of  forcing,  although  some  birds  will  not  need  it.  The 
following  is  used  by  a  number  of  experts,  and  has  been  until 
now  a  guarded  secret:  One  ounce  each  of  fenugreek,  mandrake, 
ginger  and  gentian  root,  with  four  ounces  of  bicarbonate  of 
soda ;  mix  thoroughly  and  place  one  teaspoonful  in  each  quart  of 
mash  food. 

Fishers  Secret  of  Preparing  Fowls  for 
Early  Fall  Shows 

U.  R.  Fishel,  one  of  the  most  successful  exhibitors  in  the 
West,  gives  this  method  of  preparing  fowls  for  early  fall  ex- 
hibitions : 

The  first  two  weeks  of  July  we  practically  starve  our  breed- 
ers, getting  them  very  thin  in  flesh.  The  last  two  weeks  of  July 
we  feed  heavy,  starting  slowly  at  first,  but  gradually  increasing  to 
heavy  or  full  feed.  By  then  we  notice  that  the  feathers  are 
dropping,  and  the  fowls  are  in  full  molt.  We  continue  heavy 
feeding,  using  a  mash  three  times  a  week,  and  by  the  first  of  Sep- 
tember we  have,  in  consequence,  a  lot  of  fine  exhibition  birds,  all 
in  full  new  plumage.  Every  now  and  then  we  go  over  the  entire 
flock,  plucking  all  broken  tail  and  wing  feathers,  so  that  the 
new  ones  will  come  in  even  and  proper.  We  never  coop  up  a 
white  fowl  that  we  want  to  show  at  an  early  show,  for  they  are 
apt  to  become  creamy  and  their  plumage  does  not  ripen  ou;;  prop- 
erly. We  have  found  this  method  a  successful  one,  as  jui  rec- 
ords for  many  years  past  will  prove. 


